Cruise ships are generally safe — major disasters and serious injuries are rare. Unfortunately, accidents and injuries do happen, and sometimes the cruise ship company is responsible for the injury. People may be injured by assaults, robbery, rape, outbreaks of food poisoning, slips and falls, dangerous rides or attractions, other passengers, malfunctioning equipment, and more.
Do I Have a Cruise Ship Lawsuit? Collen A. Clark is a true advocate for his clients and is passionate about helping Texans that have been injured or wronged. If you or a loved one has been injured while vacationing on a cruise ship, you should contact our lawyers immediately. You may be entitled to compensation by filing a cruise ship lawsuit.
UPDATE: Norovirus Sickens 200 on Cruise Ships in San Diego
April 14, 2015 — Over 200 people aboard two cruise ships docked in San Diego, California have likely been infected with Norovirus, a highly-contagious virus that causes diarrhea and vomiting. Click here to read more.
November 17, 2014 — An outbreak of norovirus has sickened at least 172 passengers and crew members aboard a Crown Princess cruise ship from Los Angeles to Hawaii to Tahiti and back. This is the second outbreak on this ship this year — the last one was in April. Click here to read more.
April 11, 2014 — A suspected outbreak of norovirus on a Crown Princess cruise in California has sickened at least 104 passengers and 24 crew members. Passengers were quarantined in their cabins to prevent the spread of the illness.
There have been five major outbreaks of norovirus on cruise ships this year, sickening over 1,000 people. The other outbreaks occurred in January and February and included: Holland America MS Veendam (124 people), the Royal Caribbean Explorer of the Seas (634 people), a Caribbean Princess (181 people), and a Norwegian Cruise (130 people). Click here to read more.
Cruise Ship Injuries and Accidents
- Slip, trip, or fall accidents: These common cruise ship accidents can occur almost anywhere. Sometimes they are just accidents, and the cruise ship company is not responsible. Other times, the cruise ship company could be responsible for injuries that occur because walkways were designed hazardously, or employees failed to clean up a spill, or stairs were not designed safely.
- Hazardous rides and attractions: Many large cruise ship vessels entertain their guests with pools, water slides, and other attractions. Serious injuries can occur in these areas, especially when they are not designed safely or employees are not operating them safely.
- Food Poisoning (or Norovirus outbreaks): Food poisoning on a cruise ship can sicken hundreds of people. Outbreaks of Norovirus are also very common, especially when people living in close quarters do not wash their hands frequently. Norovirus is a fecal bacteria that can be spread on surfaces, human contact, in food or water. It causes diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, and severe stomach pain for several days.
- Assault, robbery, or rape: Sometimes, injuries are caused by other passengers on the ship or crew members. Cruise ship companies have a heightened “duty of care” to protect passengers from physical harm. If they fail to do so, they could be responsible for your injury.
- Major cruise ship disaster: These disasters are rare, but they can cause serious injury or death to hundreds of people. Sometimes these disasters are caused by crew error, mechanical failure, or problems with the vessel’s integrity. Cruise ship companies are responsible for training their employees on how to navigate, operate, and maintain a cruise ship. If they fail to do so, a major disaster could occur.
Filing a Cruise Ship Lawsuit
If you think you may have a cruise ship lawsuit, is essential that you contact a cruise ship lawyer at The Clark Firm, LLP immediately. You may have a limited amount of time to file a lawsuit. You may also need to file an injury report with the cruise company. For more information, contact our cruise ship lawyers.
If you decide to file a cruise ship lawsuit, you could be entitled to compensation for your pain and suffering, medical expenses, lost income, and more. However, there are some requirements. In the fine print of most cruise ship tickets, there is a “forum selection clause” which may require you to file an injury report within a certain amount of time, or file your lawsuit in the state where the cruise ship company is headquartered. Some states have a very short statue of limitations on when you can file a lawsuit. These rules are different in each state, and you should talk to a cruise ship lawyer at The Clark Firm, LLP for more information.
Cruise Ship Disasters
January 14, 2012 — The Costa Concordia, a luxury cruise ship, ran aground off the coast of Italy. The captain of the vessel waited more than one hour to order 4,000 passengers and crew to abandon ship, at which point the vessel had tilted. 32 people died in the disaster.
November 10, 2011 — A Carnival Splendor cruise ship suffered an engine fire off the coast of Mexico, which cut power and disabled the ship. Passengers were forced to wait for several days without functioning toilets, showers, lights, laundry, or air conditioning. Rations were provided by the U.S. Navy. Several tug boats eventually towed the boat into San Diego Bay.
July 18, 2006 —A Crown Princess ship suddenly tilted 15 degrees and then righted itself 30 seconds later. The lurch injured 240 people, of which 94 required hospitalization for bruises, lacerations, and broken bones. The accident was caused by human error and the employee responsible was reassigned.
Norovirus Outbreaks
Outbreaks of norovirus are becoming increasingly common on cruise ships. The virus is highly contagious and spreads through person-to-person contact, surfaces, contaminated food, and water. Once infected, norovirus causes 12-72 hours of abdominal cramps, explosive vomiting, and diarrhea. In January and February 2014, there were four major outbreaks of norovirus on cruise ships. The biggest outbreak occurred on a Royal Caribbean Explorer of the Seas, which was nicknamed “Exploder of the Seas” after 634 passengers and 55 crew members got sick. Other outbreaks occurred on a Norwegian Cruise Line’s Star (130 of 3,219 passengers), Caribbean Princess (181 of 3,102 passengers), and Holland America MS Veendam (114 of 1,273 passengers). Click here to read more.
Major Cruise Ship Companies
There are dozens of cruise ship companies, many of which operate smaller vessels in rivers, lakes, bays, or to islands. Some of the largest companies include:
- Carnival Corporation (the world’s largest cruise company)
- Holland America
- Princess Cruises
- Disney Cruise Line
- Norwegian Cruise Line
- Royal Caribbean
- Crystal Cruises
- Regent Seven Seas Cruises
- Oceania Cruises
- Silversea Cruises
Do I have a Cruise Ship Lawsuit?
Collen A. Clark is a true advocate for his clients and is passionate about helping Texans that have been injured or wronged.
Collen’s amazing success in the courtroom and well known dedication to his clients has earned him the recognition of his peers as one of The Top Trial Lawyers in Texas.”
The Clark Firm has assembled a team of trial lawyers with more than 100 years experience, participation in over 600 jury trials and $60 million in verdicts and/or settlements. Please use the form below to contact us for a free cruise ship lawsuit review.