A vacation on a cruise ship can be one of the most relaxing experiences of your life. Unfortunately, with thousands of other people potentially on board, huge decks with plenty of room for accidents, and the persistent dangers of the open sea, a cruise ship vacation can also lead to one of the worst experiences of your life. Whether you contract a communicable disease from other passengers or crewmembers, get sick from the food, are tossed violently during stormy seas or slip and fall on a pool deck that wasn’t properly dried, there is no shortage of ways for you to fall victim to a cruise ship company’s negligence.
The most recently publicized lawsuit against a cruise ship company just happened on Nov. 3rd, after a woman slipped and fell on a slippery pool deck while aboard a Royal Caribbean cruise ship. The plaintiff maintains that the cruise ship company did not properly warn passengers of the hazardous conditions of the deck and failed to keep the area clear of obstacles and foreign items that may lead to injury.
The plaintiff reportedly suffered severe injuries to her knee and hand, and is now taking Royal Caribbean to court seeking damages, as well as payment of her legal fees plus interest.
Other cruise ship lawsuits
Another case that gained significant press was when another Royal Caribbean cruise liner ventured out into a storm that they knew was happening. The plaintiff in this case sued because he was allegedly tossed around in the storm inside his cabin and sustained serious injuries. All Royal Caribbean offered the passengers in response was an apology and a refund of their fares. There were 6,000 passengers and 1,500 crewmembers aboard the ship as it headed into potentially-dangerous seas.
The last recent lawsuit happened in October, and the plaintiff alleges that Royal Caribbean was directly responsible for him contracting Legionnaires’ Disease – a pneumonia-like illness with an up to 30% fatality rate. It can be contracted through water that is aerosolized, such as the water spray that is created in hot tubs on cruise ships.
The plaintiff asserts that he was only notified that the Royal Caribbean cruise ship had, in past cruises, confirmed the presence of the bacteria that causes Legionnaires’ after he had already boarded and the ship had set sail; via a note slid under his cabin door. Despite the cruise ship company’s assessment that they had “properly treated” the contaminated spas and Whirpool machines with chlorine, two people were later found out to have contracted the disease.
Cruise ships need to be held to higher standards
There is no question that, in at least two of these cases, Royal Caribbean displayed gross negligence and a lack of concern for the safety of their passengers and crew. Knowingly heading out into a rough storm and knowingly exposing your paying customers to a potentially-deadly bacteria is simply outrageous and criminally-negligent behavior. With a slip and fall, it will depend on the conditions regarding the case. If the cruise liner failed to maintain a safe deck and failed to warn passengers of the potentially dangerous conditions, then they are liable for the injuries sustained as a result. With thousands of people onboard, there simply must be a heightened level of vigilance and care for their safety. No exceptions.
At Altman & Altman LLP, we have 40 years of experience navigating negligence suits of all kinds. Whether you were injured on a cruise ship or put into harm’s way by the negligent actions of a cruise ship company, we can fight for you to get the financial compensation you need and are entitled to in order to continue living your life. Call us for a free consultation today at 617-492-3000