Cruise Ship Accident Lawyer Blog

When Cruise Ship Electricity Poses a Serious Threat

August 19, 2016 | by Gerson & Schwartz, P.A.

Cruise ships can sometimes encounter unexpected situations, some of which may increase the risk for personal injury among passengers and crew. Power loss is one example. One cruise ship, the Princess Caribbean, had recently experienced both electrical as well as engine issues. These issues can undermine a cruise ship’s need to take care of their guests and make them feel safe during their stay.

Cruise Line Loses Power on the Sea

The loss of power on a cruise ship can be sudden and can cause passengers to lose balance and injure themselves. According to several passengers aboard the Caribbean Princess as it journeyed off the Irish coast, the cruise ship lost power without any warning. Many passengers took to Twitter to vent their frustration, tagging the cruise line as a means of notifying them of the issue. Subsequently, Princess Cruises acknowledged the power loss on Twitter.

Cabin Doors: The Dangers That Cruise Lines Fail to Communicate

August 12, 2016 | by Gerson & Schwartz, P.A.

Being injured is not the first thing you want happening during a vacation, especially if you are on a cruise ship. Injuries on cruise ships do happen and seem to be occurring with greater frequency. A recent lawsuit against Disney Cruise Lines was filed by a man who alleged that his cabin door amputated his thumb as it slammed shut. Although there was a medical team on board, it did not seem to assist him with reattachment.

If you or a family member has suffered an injury on a cruise ship and are seeking compensation, you will need an experienced lawyer to assist you with your case. The Miami maritime lawyers at Gerson & Schwartz, PA will work with you to help you receive the reward you deserve. Call us at 1-877-474-2905.

Cruise Lines and Personal Injuries

When Vacation Turns to Tragedy: Cruise Ship Drowning

August 5, 2016 | by Gerson & Schwartz, P.A.

Injuries and deaths on cruise ships are not exactly the most top-rating news stories as of late, but they are nevertheless happening. Recently, an 8-year-old boy drowned in a swimming pool on one of the most popular cruise ships in the world. While reports have yet to determine whether the ship was negligent in its prevention and/or response to the incident, there is speculation that the family of the boy will take legal action against the cruise line.

If you or a family member has experienced a personal injury or death on a cruise ship, you will need experienced legal assistance to handle your case. The Miami maritime lawyers at Gerson & Schwartz, PA are here to help. Call us at 1-877-474-2905.

Cruise Ship Death: Accident or Negligence?

Being Threatened with Rape: A Psychological Personal Injury

July 29, 2016 | by Gerson & Schwartz, P.A.

Cruise lines are in the business of making their guests feel safe, at ease, and protected. As many attorneys know (particularly attorneys experienced with maritime law), this is not always the case. A recent news report has shown that one cruise line failed to keep one of its passengers safe from its own employee. This passenger not only received threats by an employee, she also achieved very little headway with convincing local authorities of her plight.

Bahamas Cruise Line Passenger Threatened by Employee

A bachelorette party should be a joyous occasion, one filled with friends, excitement, and memory-making experiences. Unfortunately, this was not the case for one woman who went to celebrate her last few days of singlehood on the Bahamas Paradise Cruise. According to the report, a crew member threatened the woman with rape on numerous occasions. When she slammed the door in his face, he repeated the threats. After a period of a few minutes, the employee disappeared from outside her door.

Rapes and Sexual Assaults on Cruises

July 22, 2016 | by Gerson & Schwartz, P.A.

Rapes and sexual assaults on cruise ships happen often. Recently, 1,700 young students boarded the Luxury MS Galaxy cruise ship on a trip to Finland. What was intended to be a rewarding experienced turned ended in tragedy. Eight male passengers between the ages of 18 and 19 were arrested when the cruise ship landed. Said men face charges of gang-raping a female student and aggravated rape. The attack occurred inside one of the ship’s cabins. One of these eight men has a prior criminal conviction. Two of these eight men are actually suspects in a separate high-profile murder case in Stockholm. Said murder occurred in November of 2015. As suspects to the murder case they were released pending trial and provided the opportunity to violently offend again.

If you or a loved one have been attacked on a cruise, it is imperative that you hire an attorney for your case. The Miami maritime lawyers at Gerson & Schwartz, PA have the experience and skill needed for your case. For a FREE initial consultation, call (305) 371-6000 or toll free at (877)-475-2905. You can also contact us online at info@gslawusa.com.

Sexual Assault and Sexual Battery

The Occurrence of Sexual Assaults on Cruise Ships

July 15, 2016 | by Gerson & Schwartz, P.A.

Though they do not often make the news, crimes on cruise ships do happen. Sometimes said crimes are serious and life-altering, such as sexual assault. Sexual assaults are, unfortunately, not uncommon aboard cruise ships. Recently, 25-year-old Karen Seechurn pleaded guilty to unlawfully entering the cruise ship cabin of a sleeping passenger and sexually assaulting her. In brief, Seechurn entered the victim’s cabin, groped her and threatened to burn the ship down if she told anyone of the incident. The cruise ship was reported as the Royal Caribbean’s Quantum of the Seas.

Again, sexual assaults aboard cruise ships are not uncommon. In 2014, alone, three of the leading cruise lines, Royal Caribbean, Carnival, and Norwegian reported 18 cases of sexual assaults and 27 cases of rape against cruise ship passengers.

Please note that cruise ships do not have law enforcement officials onboard. Yet, you are not without security personnel. Cruise ships employ other forms of security personnel who are typically trained to maintain the safety on cruise ships and to protect evidence of a crime. If you a rape victim of such an offense, it is critical that you report the incident to the FBI as soon as you reasonably can. Ask your cruise line to allow you to contact the FBI. Cruise lines are required to allow passengers to speak to the FBI upon request. Once reported, the FBI will investigate the incident. Of course, the cruise line will want to give the FBI their side of the story. Once your cruise ship has ported, you should visit the nearest rape treatment center.

Eight Year old Child Medevaced from Royal Caribbean Cruise Anthem of the Seas; Other passengers seriously injured in accidents on board too

July 11, 2016 | by Gerson & Schwartz, P.A.

Over the Juy 4th weekend, it was reported that multiple passengers were seriously injured on the Royal Caribbean’s Anthem of the Seas. The most serious incidents includes a report that an 8 year old child drowned in the ship pool. In addition, several other passengers reported orthopedic injuries and possibly broken bones due to slip, trip and fall hazards on the Anthem as well. One passenger has already contacted the cruise ship injury lawyers at Gerson & Schwartz, PA to discuss potential clams she may have against this cruise line for their negligence. Under federal maritime law, cruise line operators are required to provide reasonable care under the circumstances. What reasonable care means however, depends on the facts of each case and can vary depending on a number of factors that need to be carefully analyzed by a law firm that specializes in maritime law.

The latest drowning incident highlights the long need for cruise ships to employ lifeguards in their pools facilities. Legal and safety advocates state that the cruise lines are not legally required to employ lifeguards. However, given the increase number of drowning incidents in recent years, cruise line operators have been pressed to utilize lifeguards just as any other water, or recreation facility to make these attractions more safe. In this case, the 8 year old boy had to be medevaced from the ship. He was eventually taken back to Staten Island. His current medical condition is unknown. The investigation into the drowning incident and other unfortunate accidents and injuries that occurred on the latest Anthem of the Seas will be evaluated over the next several months. Gerson & Schwartz lawyers have over 45 years experience representing accident and injury victims on both land and sea. Our lawyers are ready and willing to assist you with a potential legal claim against all of the major cruise lines, including Royal Caribbean, Carnival, Norwegian, Holland America and others. For more information on how we can help, contact the cruise ship accident attorneys at Gerson & Schwartz, PA, for more information. All cases are handled under a contingent fee.

Cruise Ship Swimming Pools and the Possibility of Harm

July 8, 2016 | by Gerson & Schwartz, P.A.

Are you contemplating embarking on a cruise ship vacation? Be aware that accidents on cruise ships seem to happen with regularity. Often times the accident may be life threatening or even fatal. A common type of accident on cruise ships is drowning. Even though this is a common tragedy, cruise ships fail to hire lifeguards to monitor cruise ship swimming areas. As a matter of fact, the only cruise line that hires lifeguards is the Disney Cruise line.

Just recently, a 4-year-old child almost drowned in a cruise ship wave pool. He was a passenger of the Royal Caribbean’s Oasis of the Seas. The cruise ship had just departed from Port Everglades, when unbeknownst to his mother, the boy entered the wave pool. The young child was then “swept away.” It was reported that he was below water for over six minutes. Another passenger spotted the drowning child. This accident prompted the ship to return to Port Everglades. The young child, in critical condition, was rushed to a nearby hospital. This accident prompted additional demands for lifeguards on all cruise ships. This demand is echoed by Andrew Coggins, a cruise industry expert. Mr. Coggins maintains that all cruise lines should have lifeguards and all cruise lines should require children wear flotation vests when near the pools.

If you or your loved one were injured on a cruise ship, it is imperative that you hire an experienced attorney. The Miami maritime lawyers at Gerson & Schwartz, PA have the experience and skill need to aggressively take on your case. Contact our attorneys today at 305-371-6000 or via email at info@gslawusa.com to schedule a FREE consultation.

Attack on a Cruise Ship

July 1, 2016 | by Gerson & Schwartz, P.A.

Perhaps contrary to popular belief, criminal acts run rampant on cruise ships. This in large part is due to the extreme lack of security personnel. For instance, and unfortunately, cruises do not have law enforcement officers on board. However, cruise lines do employ their own security personnel. These security personnel are trained to maintain the safety on cruise ships and to protect evidence of a crime. Even with these special security figures, crime remains commonplace on cruises.

Recently, on the Royal Caribbean Independence of the Seas cruise ship, Jason Lawson, 32 years of age, was charged for an attack on a 13-year-old boy. Lawson’s 13-year-old daughter also attended the cruise ship and was offered a keychain for her virginity by said 13-year-old boy. Lawson is accused of assisting Arturno Martinez Jr., 30, assault the young boy. In short, Lawson now faces battery, false imprisonment and additional charges from this incident. The other attacker, Martinez, was charged with child abuse, assault, battery and false imprisonment of a child. At the time of this incident, Lawson forced the 13-year-old boy to apologize to his daughter. Minutes later, the 13-year-old girl’s uncle, Martinez, cornered the young boy in the cruise ship’s library and began to beat him. At the same time, Lawson watched and blocked the boy’s escape.

If you or a loved one are a victim of a crime, it is imperative you hire an experienced attorney. The Miami crime victim lawyers at Gerson & Schwartz, PA provide high quality legal representation. For more information call us toll free at 1-877-475-2905 or contact us online to set up a FREE initial consultation.

Rights and Protections for Sexual Assault Victims on Cruise Ships

June 24, 2016 | by Gerson & Schwartz, P.A.

Sexual assaults often occur during cruise ship voyages. Just recently, the Royal Bahamas Police Force took a United States citizen into police custody in connection with an alleged sexual assault incident. Both the suspect and the victim were passengers of a cruise ship. This incident was reported shortly after 9:00 a.m. when the female victim informed Bahamian police that she was sexually assaulted. The suspect was arrested and taken into police custody. Given that these crimes are not rare, it is important that victims have certain rights and protections on board cruise ships for when they are, or may have been, victimized. This article will touch on the victim rights expounded in the Cruise Vessel Security and Safety Act of 2010.

If you or a loved one is a victim of a crime at sea, it is important that an experienced maritime lawyer is retained for the case. Cruise ship companies have their own lawyers who work for them following an incident and so should you. The Miami maritime lawyers at Gerson & Schwartz, PA provide high quality legal representation. For more information call us toll free at 1-877-475-2905 or contact us online.

Cruise Vessel Security and Safety Act of 2010