According to the Miami Dade Police Department and various news sources, earlier this month an eight year old girl fell two stories from an interior deck on the Carnival Glory cruise ship while the boat was docked at PortMiami. Sources reported that the child, from the Bahamas, was on the ship cruising with her family.
The little girl had reportedly been waiting to disembark with her family, and was standing near a railing with her little brother when she fell. The girl was then taken to the ship’s medical center before being transferred to a hospital where she died.
A spokesperson for Carnival stated that the fall appeared to be an accident, and that the railing where the girl was standing was believed to have been 47 inches high. It is unclear from the statement whether the railing failed, the girl somehow fell over or through the railing, or something else happened that pushed the child over the ledge. In any event, it is an unfortunate tragedy.
In an attempt to reassure potential passengers of cruise ship safety for children, the Carnival spokesperson further stated that Carnival carries more families than any other cruise line in the world– an estimated 800,000 children are expected to sail with Carnival in 2017.
A representative from the Coast Guard stated that the agency conducts safety inspections on all U.S.-flagged cruise ships and any cruise ships that take on passengers in U.S. waters. Cruise ships must meet national and international safety regulations concerning evacuation procedures, fire prevention, lifeboat adequacy and additional related safety standards. The Coast Guard also investigates serious accidents that occur within the U.S. territories.
What many passengers do not realize about cruise ship litigation is that special state, federal and international laws may be applicable in cruise ship accidents, injuries and death claims at sea. For example, the statutes of limitations are shorter, in some cases falling just one year from the incident date! Additionally, injuries that occur on navigable waters either near U.S. or foreign shores can present complex legal issues as admiralty, maritime, and in some cases even foreign state law may apply. Furthermore, many personal injury victims may not be aware that many cruise ship operators require injured passengers to file any negligence or personal injury based lawsuits in federal court in Miami, Florida regardless of where they live or where the incident may have occurred. Cruise ship injuries sustained on foreign soil can also trigger legal issues over jurisdiction and the correct forum in which to file a lawsuit.
The cruise ship attorneys at Gerson & Schwartz, PA have over 46 years experience representing injury victims, including cruise ship passengers and crew members from the United States and abroad. Our lawyers routinely litigate serious injury and death claims against all the major cruise lines, including: Carnival Cruise Lines, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian Cruise Lines, Princess Cruises, Disney Cruise Lines, Holland America, Celebrity, Costa, Seabourn, Regent, Crystal and many other foreign operated vessels. If you or a loved one has been injured or died on a cruise, contact us today for a free case consultation by calling 1-877-475-2905 or through this website.
Related Posts:
11th Circuit Rules Against Plaintiff with Matching Broken Wrists in Controversial Cruise Ship Injury Opinion, Cruise Ship Accident Lawyer Blog, published October 5, 2017
Pleasure cruise sails into nausea and near-mutiny, Cruise Ship Accident Lawyer Blog, published September 26, 2017