Once again, Carnival cruise line braces itself for some hard questioning and strong reaction from the public, after one of its vessels, the Carnival Triumph, wound up stranded in the Gulf of Mexico . This is the result of yet, another engine room fire, which left cruise ship passengers without very basic needs including: food, water, toilets, and power. Needless to say, passengers are disgruntled and Carnival is under fire by news agencies, and thousands of individuals concerned about the safety of cruising.
Carnival has not yet answered the looming question as to what caused a fire on the 14 year old ship which was based in Galveston, Texas. While the Costa Concordia ship wreck last year, is reminiscent of this incident, fortunately there were no casualties or incidents on the Carnival Triumph, like there were on the Concordia. So, why do there continue to be fires on ships, leaving passengers stranded in the ocean, sometimes ship wrecked for days?
One of the more recent forms of injury on board cruises results from extremely high numbers of sexual assaults that occur on cruise ships. Most often, these forms of crimes are committed against passengers by crew members. Cruise ship guidelines are not clear cut regarding background checks on employees, especially those who are hired overseas. Although, Carnival and many of the other major cruise lines are based in cities like Miami, Fl and Ft. Lauderdale, Fl the crew itself are from foreign countries and screening these people is difficult and not without major loop holes.
In terms of accidental deaths and personal injuries related to the operations of the vessels themselves, experts say are that there are not enough uniform guidelines, to ensure safety equipment such as engines, gangway, ramps, and electrical machinery. In the instance, of the Triumph, there was an automatic fire extinguishing system that squelched the fire, but that didn’t mean that passengers weren’t adversely effected by the aftermath. Passengers were unable to use the restrooms, and the loss of power resulted in food being left unrefrigerated and spoiling, leaving an unpleasant stench throughout the ship. The entire ship had to wait out in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico for US Coast Guard rescue crews to reach them and bring them fresh food and drinks. Meanwhile, the ship has still not reached land and passengers are stuck on board after almost 3 days of this nightmare.
The Florida maritime attorneys at Gerson & Schwartz, PA believe that all cruise ship companies must take better precautions and undergo more inspections annually if this sort of thing is to be prevented in the future. If you or a loved one has suffered an accident, injury, or death while onboard a cruise ship do not wait for the cruise company to offer you compensation. The accident lawyers at Gerson & Schwartz, PA strive to help cruise ship passengers and crew members injured at sea. For a free consultation contact a qualified personal injury attorney at Gerson & Schwartz PA, today. Call toll free 1-877-475-2905 or visit wwww.Injuryattorneyfla.com.