Cruise Ship Accidents

Cruise ship companies have a duty to keep their passengers reasonably safe. When a cruise ship company fails to do so because, for example, of a wet deck on which a passenger may slip, the company may be liable.

Cruise ship companies have ticket/passenger contracts that passengers sign which limit the time in which one must file a claim and require that any lawsuit against the cruise ship company must be brought in a specific jurisdiction (e.g., Holland America Line requires personal injury cases to be brought in the Western District of Washington in Seattle) and with notice. As dictated by their passage contracts, passengers of Holland America Line cruises must file a notice of claim within six months of the incident and a claim must be filed within a year of the incident.

Related Case Histories

• A female plaintiff slipped and fell, fracturing her wrist and injuring her shoulder, while onboard a cruise ship. Confidential settlement.
• A male plaintiff slipped and fell, injuring his right patella, while onboard a cruise ship. Confidential settlement.
• A 50-year-old semi-retired plaintiff slipped and fell on an ungrated, hard, polished surface near an indoor hydra-pool onboard a cruise ship. She suffered a displaced fracture of her right patella. Confidential settlement.

Resources

Public Citizen – “Public Citizen is a national, nonprofit consumer advocacy organization created to represent consumers’ interests in Congress, the executive branch and the courts. Public Citizen strives for openness and democratic accountability in government, for the right of consumers to seek redress in the courts, as well as many other valuable social objectives.”
www.citizen.org