Cruise Ship Accident Lawyer in Louisiana

Every year, a lot of people enjoy themselves immensely and unwind on cruises, sometimes even bringing their families along or making it an annual vacation destination. However, other passengers can suffer an accident while on a cruise and experience significant changes to their lives.

The sad truth is that cruise ships often experience cases like slip-and-fall accidents and general negligence—both can lead to catastrophic injuries. In fact, over a 3-year period, roughly 200 people suffered an injury while on a cruise—25 of them classified as serious.

Our Louisiana cruise ship accident lawyers believe that cruise companies should be responsible when it comes to being transparent about what actually happens aboard their vessels. If you unfortunately have been involved in a cruise ship accident, get in touch with us as soon as possible.

The Most Common Cruise Accidents

The average individual planning an ideal cruise ship trip seldom considers what could go wrong. Fortunately, the vast majority of cruises go smoothly, which is why cruise ship holidays are rising at an astounding rate. 

In the event that something unexpected occurs at sea, keep in mind that some common cruise accidents include:

• Slip and fall accidents – Slip and fall accidents are one of the most prevalent ways passengers get hurt on cruise ships. People are seriously injured in these incidents for a variety of reasons, including luggage in passageways, wet and slick floors, broken stairs, and subtle variations in elevation throughout the ship.
• Food poisoning – People who depend on the cruise company for their meals and snacks run the risk of getting food poisoning when food is handled or prepared improperly. If this condition is not properly treated, it can result in significant medical complications.
• Elevator and escalator accidents – When an elevator or escalator is not maintained or malfunctions, passengers can slip and fall or get body parts trapped within the elevator or escalator, resulting in their suffering serious injuries or death.
• Assault and sexual assault – Sadly, passengers risk being assaulted and sexually assaulted by crew members or other guests. This can cause the victim to experience both physical injuries and life-long emotional trauma.
• Swimming pool accidents – Passengers can suffer slips and falls on slippery pool deck floors or defective steps leading into the pool, swimming injuries, or drowning when swimming in pools provided by the cruise ship.
• Recreational Activities – Recreational activities offered on a cruise, such as rock climbing, sky rides, and water activities, can cause injuries to passengers. If the equipment was faulty, the victim may often have both a product liability claim against the manufacturer and a compensation claim against the cruise line.
• Drowning – Passengers risk drowning if they fall into a swimming pool, overboard, or if the ship sustains serious damage and starts to take on water.
• Fires – Passengers can suffer serious burns, disfigurement, and scars if injured in a fire on a cruise ship. A fire can also increase the risk of injury from other unsafe conditions aboard the ship, or impact the ability of the ship’s limited medical facilities to deal with other injuries.

Common Injuries That Cruise Passengers Suffer

While on a cruise, passengers can encounter a variety of injuries that may be made worse due to the ship’s limited medical resources. The following injuries are frequent among passengers:

• Neck, back, and shoulder injuries
• Spinal injuries, including partial and total paralysis
• Serious burns, disfigurement, and scarring
• Amputations
• Severe emotional trauma
• Injuries caused by partial drowning or death by drowning
• Traumatic brain injury and other brain injuries
• Broken or crushed bones
• Internal bleeding and organ damage
• Death

What Should I Do After Being Involved in a Cruise Ship Accident?

The following steps should be taken after being involved in a cruise ship accident:

• Be sure to submit and obtain a copy of any accident or crime report.
• Take as many pictures of the accident scene as you can, get the contact information of any witnesses, and write down the names of any crew members you talked to.
• Seek medical assistance as soon as possible from the ship’s medical team.
• Get in touch with a cruise ship lawyer right away.

It’s important to contact a cruise accident lawyer as soon as possible if you have been injured in a cruise ship accident. We will take the time to give your case the special attention it needs, and we will advise you regarding the legal rights you possess as well as the statute of limitations—the amount of time you have after an accident to bring a lawsuit—as it relates to your specific case.

How Can a Cruise Ship Injury Lawyer Maximize the Value of My Claim?

A positive recovery in a cruise ship injury case necessitates the use of lawyers who are well-versed in the laws that govern maritime situations. These types of lawsuits can be especially challenging due to the advantages companies in the cruise ship industry have including:

• The commonly used argument is that courts in the United States have no jurisdiction over what transpires over international waters.
• The lack of responsibility cruise lines commonly asserts when dealing with injured crew members and passengers in order to give accident victims the impression that their claim is not valid.
• Non-disclosure policies attempt to prevent them from releasing the names of those who are hurt, go missing, or who sustain fatal injuries.

Our cruise ship lawyers understand the various legal methods used by cruise lines and have a solid track record of overcoming these obstacles to guarantee that accident victims benefit from the legal framework of the domestic or foreign legal jurisdiction a particular claim falls under.

Injured While on a Cruise? Get Gordon!

Due to our knowledge and experience with cases involving injuries at sea, you can be confident that our cruise ship accident lawyers will take the time to carefully and extensively review the details of your case. We’ve worked in Louisiana for decades, so we’ve helped many people with their cruise ship claims. Give our cruise ship accident lawyers a call at 888.501.7888 for a free consultation about your legal options. We want to help you get the money you deserve for your cruise ship damages. In fact, if we don’t win, you won’t owe us a dime—that’s the G Guarantee.