Cruise Ship Equipment Failure
Each year, thousands of people travel on cruise ships on short vacations up and down the coast. They are supposed to be protected by the cruise ship company at all costs, but not every company does its due diligence in assuring the ship is safe. If there are any problems with the cruise ship, there could be negative consequences and injuries. Accidents are not uncommon, and it can be hard to receive treatment, even if there is a doctor on board. You may need to wait for the ship to pull into a port before you can get adequate medical treatment. Faulty or defective equipment on a cruise ship is one of the most common causes for injuries and accidents. If you were hurt because of the equipment on a cruise ship, get in touch with the Downtown LA Law Group today.
Faulty Equipment on a Cruise ShipCruise ships must have ample quality assurance testers who ensure that the equipment on board is not faulty. If there are any defects or problems with equipment, passengers can get severely hurt. Cruise ship companies should hire contractors or other workers to fix any issues on board. Some examples of potentially faulty equipment include:
- Sliding glass doors: Cruise ships have glass doors that slide closed and can easily break or shatter if they are not tempered correctly or if there is a lot of pressure on them. Lacerations and slashes from glass are common injuries.
- Malfunctioning elevators: There are often elevators that bring passengers up and down the separate floors. An elevator that has a door that suddenly closes or refuses to open, or an elevator that drops suddenly at the bottom of a descent, can cause serious injuries.
- Escalators: Escalators are generally used to move between decks on cruise ships. The escalators could have broken parts that cause passengers to get snagged, leading to falls, trips, and more.
- Faulty recreational equipment: Most cruise ships have gyms, sports equipment, and more. This equipment should be in working order; if a cable machine is broken, it can cause the user to get hurt while lifting, for example.
- Improperly stored equipment: Some equipment should not be openly exposed to the elements that often or it will rust or become weaker. Other equipment should be adequately stored; if a closet is bursting or not properly secured and locked, the equipment could fall out and injure a bystander.
- Broken ship parts: Different parts of the ship that control movement should be inspected all the time. A broken ship part can cause catastrophic injuries.
There are various kinds of injuries that can happen from faulty or defective equipment on a cruise ship. These damages include:
- Lacerations
- Abrasions
- Broken bones
- Fractures
- Internal organ damage
- Bruises
- Puncture wounds
- Crushing injuries
- CRPS
- Nerve damage
- Muscle damage
- Neck and back injuries
- Soft tissue damage
- Paralysis
- Coma
- Death
You should be extremely careful on cruise ships. If you suffer injuries of any kind, it is important that you reach out to a skilled cruise ship equipment failure lawyer to help you with your lawsuit.
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Cruise ships must protect their passengers at all costs. If they are negligent in this duty, they can be held accountable and be sued for compensation. You should be sure that you have enough evidence on your side to sue the cruise ship company. You can follow these steps to get started:
First, you should take photos of the injuries you suffered so there is proof of the damage. You should also take pictures of the scene of the accident, the damage on the ship, the defective equipment, and more. The more photos you have, the better prepared you will be. Videos and surveillance footage will also be beneficial for your case, but if you blatantly ask the cruise ship company for them, they may deny you. They will not want to hand over evidence that can prove that they were liable.
You will need medical attention quickly. Although a doctor is required to be on board the cruise ship, you may still need to get additional treatment or better treatment at another facility. You should hold on to the medical receipts, doctor’s notes, test results, and more from this follow up treatment. Do not hesitate to go to the hospital or medical center – the longer you wait, the more likely it is that your injuries will worsen, but the more problematic your claim will be. A delay between the injuries and the treatment can indicate, to an insurance agent, that you were hurt in another accident away from the cruise ship.
If there were any eyewitnesses who saw the equipment failure or who saw the accident, you should ask them for their statements and testimonies for your claim. Hey can provide you with additional perspectives and support. Further, if numerous individuals were also injured by the equipment, you could join a class action lawsuit against the company. This will allow you all to pool your evidence together and have a greater chance of success. However, the compensation will be split evenly among all the parties, so you may earn less as an individual.
You will need to provide proof that you were a passenger on the ship, so make copies of your boarding pass, ticket, credit card or bank statement, and more.
You will also need to alert the cruise ship to the injury and intent to sue no later than 180 days after it occurred. This will allow you to file an incident report, remain within the statute of limitations, and have the damage on record with the company.
Lastly, you should reach out to a skilled cruise ship equipment failure attorney who can handle your case for you. If you have never taken part in legal action, negotiated a claim, or learned about maritime law, you will likely not be able to deal with the lawsuit by yourself. Our qualified attorneys will be able to win you the damages you deserve while you focus on recovering from injuries or returning to daily life.
Compensation from a Defective Equipment Failure Accident on a Cruise ShipThe amount of compensation you can receive from a lawsuit against a cruise ship company based on damages from a piece of defective equipment will vary greatly. The insurance agent handling the case will look at the extent of your injuries, the responsibility you had in the incident, the type of career you have, your age, and more, and he will make an offer based on those factors. Our job will be to negotiate a fair settlement and ensure that you are properly paid.
We will fight to secure you the following:
- Medical expenses for the past and future for all surgery, hospitalization, medication, physical therapy and rehabilitation, and more
- Property damage if you lost items or personal belongings in the incident
- Missed income if you were unable to return to work, whether in the past or the future
- Pain and suffering damages to cover emotional anxiety, fear, PTSD, psychological scarring, and more
If a loved one or family member died in the incident, we will also pursue wrongful death damages. These damages will cover funeral and burial fees, pre-death medical bills and pain and suffering, loss of consortium and relations, loss of income and inheritance, and more. We will not stop fighting for you until we are satisfied with the result of your case.
As stated above, you have 180 days to notify the cruise ship to the injury and intent to sue. You have 1 year in total to file a claim against the cruise ship. This statute of limitations is quite short, and so, it is necessary that you act quickly. You should gather your evidence as fast as possible and speak with an attorney. We will be able to hire expert witnesses to add to your evidence, and we will ensure that your case is filed on time.
There are a few ways the statute of limitations can be extended. Minors cannot sue, so the statute will not begin until they turn 18 years old. You also cannot sue if you are mentally or physically incapacitated, so the statute would be frozen until you return to wellness.
Speak with a cruise ship injury lawyer today to learn more and determine how much time remains on your case.
The Best Firm in TownThe Downtown LA Law Group is known as being one of the most successful and dedicated law firms in Los Angeles. We have won hundreds of millions of dollars in restitution for our clients and our aggressive attorneys have years of experience under their belts. Our numerous success stories and results speak for themselves.
To set up a free legal consultation, get in touch with one of our attorneys today. We will help you understand the legal process and tell you what we believe your claim is worth. If you hire us, we’ll also give you our zero fee guarantee, a promise that you won’t pay us a dime of your own money. We will get paid only if we win, and I we lose, we take nothing. The cruise ship company’s insurance agency will cover our legal costs.
For help suing a cruise ship company due to defective or faulty equipment, reach out to the Downtown LA Law Group today.
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