Five Tips Your Cruise Ship Fall Was Related To Negligence

If you or a loved one has fallen and injured yourself on a cruise ship, the news of a woman recently slipping off a cruise ship and becoming lost in the sea may have reminded you of your own experience. As you revisit the issue, you may wonder if you are entitled to compensation for your injuries. In many cases, the answer may be "yes". If the negligence of the company or its crew caused your injury, they may be liable for your expenses.

Here are some signs of cruise ship negligence to consider:

1. The deck was slippery and wet.

If your fall was caused because the deck was slippery and wet, the cruise operator may be liable. In order to be classed as negligence, someone in the crew must have known about the wet and slippery conditions, and they must have done nothing to remedy them in a timely manner.

Even if the crew did not notice that the surface was wet, the operator may still be liable, especially if the flooring in that area was not slip resistant.

2. The ship did not have proper rails around its sides.

If you slipped and fell overboard, it was likely a harrowing experience bobbing up and down in the sea until someone rescued you. This type of injury could also be related to the negligence of the cruise ship company. Ideally, the sides of the deck are supposed to have rails that prevent people from falling overboard.

If the ship was missing these rails or if they were in a state of disrepair, those issues may be responsible for your injuries, and a personal injury lawyer can help you take the cruise ship company to court to recoup your losses for medical bills, lost time at work, emotional distress and other issues.

3. Your injuries were exacerbated by improper rescue techniques.

If you fell overboard, the way the crew rescued you may also be related to your injury. If the right protocols were not followed and your injuries were made worse as a result, the ship's owner may be responsible for your injuries.

4. Other issues with negligence in the ship lead to your fall.

In some cases, the culprit for your fall may not be apparent on the deck. However, there are other ways that the ship or its crew may have played a role in your injury. For example, imagine you got food poisoning as a result of improperly cooked food in the ship's dining room, and then, weakness from food poisoning overcame you, causing you to fall on the deck.

A skilled personal injury attorney may also be able draw a connection between your injury and the negligence of the kitchen staff. Similarly, imagine you took a hot yoga class while on the ship, and the yoga instructor failed to warn you that the heat might make you lightheaded. After class, you ventured to the deck where you fell and injured yourself -- a simple disclaimer from the yoga instructor could have prevented your fall and saved the ship from a lawsuit.

5. Negligence can also be linked to improper medical care.

In some cases, the negligence may not have occurred before your fall or while you were overboard. This could be particularly true if you received medical care from the doctors or nurses on the ship after falling on the deck. If the care was not thorough, if you were diagnosed incorrectly, if the wrong drugs were prescribed or if a range of other issues happened, the ship's medical team may have been negligent.

Still wondering if your cruise ship fall was related to negligence? Contact a personal injury lawyer. They can chat with you about your situation to determine if you have a solid case or not.