Thousands of people vacation on cruise ships every year. While traveling on a cruise ship can be a great adventure, cruise line accidents sometimes occur. Generally, a cruise ship owes its passengers a duty of safe transportation, due to the fact that cruise ships are considered common carriers. Cruise ship operators must exercise reasonable care for the safety of its passengers, in accordance with maritime law. Furthermore, cruise ship operators will be held liable for the injuries of passengers caused by negligence or willful actions.
If an injured passenger wants to file a lawsuit against a cruise line, it is important to know that the contract with the cruise line determines the statute of limitations, and is typically located on the purchased ticket. This contract takes precedent over any statute of limitations set by state law. Also, jurisdiction rules vary, though Florida Statute 910.006 allows Florida law enforcement maritime jurisdiction if the victim is a resident of Florida, the suspect is a resident of Florida, more than half of revenue passengers aboard embarked and planned to disembark in a Florida port, or if the crime could have cause a substantial effect within Florida.
A cruise ship passenger who has suffered injuries may be eligible to receive compensation for damages such as medical expenses, loss of wages, and compensation for pain and suffering. Call a cruise ship accident lawyer at Darfoor Law Firm at 1-833-DARFOOR to determine your rights if you have been injured in a cruise ship accident.
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