The FBI is investigating the death of a South Carolina woman after she fell from the deck of a cruise ship into the ocean off the coast of Cuba and was not found by the coast guard and cruise ship personnel. The Norwegian Cruise Line vessel was on a course from Miami to Cozumel, Mexico when the accident occurred. Authorities searched over 600 nautical miles for the woman before giving up search and rescue efforts. The FBI was called in to determine if there was any foul play or negligence that could have caused the incident. If you were hurt or lost a loved one aboard a cruise ship contact a Miami Cruise Ship Accident Attorney.
Can the Cruise Line be Held Responsible?
While not all the facts regarding this case have been discovered, could cruise liners hypothetically be responsible in these types of situations? In most cases, cruise ships are considered “common carriers,” which means that they have a responsibility to their passengers beyond just reasonable care. Cruise liners must take a very high degree of precaution to prevent injury or deaths aboard their ships and failure to do so could land them with a personal injury or wrongful death suit.