When you boarded the cruise ship at the start of your vacation, the last thing on your mind was the possibility of becoming sick or possibly severely injured, but unfortunately, accidents happen. If you were injured or became sick while on a vacation cruise, you may be wondering, can I sue the cruise line? All of that depends on negligence.
Negligence means someone has not exercised basic care. For example, when you drive on the road you have a specific care or duty you are expected to follow. Generally, you avoid driving recklessly, driving drunk and distracted. If you caused an accident while doing those things, it could be determined that you were negligent in your actions. On a cruise ship, you would have to prove your injury or sickness was due to the cruise ship line was negligent in a manner which caused your accident.
Common Cruise Ship Injuries & Illnesses
As mentioned above, simply being injured on a cruise ship does not mean you can sue the cruise line, you must be able to prove your injury was caused by negligence. Below is a list of common injuries and sicknesses that commonly occur on cruise ships.
Common Injuries
- Broken Bones
- Concussions/Head injuries
- Slip & Fall
- Neck and Spinal Cord Injuries
Slip and fall cases are unfortunately, pretty common on cruise lines. If you were injured by a food or beverage spill that had been left in a walkway for an unreasonable amount of time, the cruise ship could be held liable.
Common Sicknesses
- Food Poisoning
- Legionnaires Disease
- Norovirus
An outbreak of food poisoning can occur if one of the food handlers failed to handle the food properly. This could occur if one of the food handlers forgot to wash their hands before returning to work. Legionnaire’s disease is another serious illness cruise ship passengers could fall ill to. This disease is caused by a bacterium that thrives in heating and plumbing systems where warm water is abundant. It is killed by hot water, but an outbreak of this disease can be caused by improperly heating a spa or pool.
Tips to Prove Cruise Ship Negligence
Due to the overwhelming number of reasons a person could become ill, proving you fell sick due to the negligence of the cruise line can be difficult if you are the only person sick. If there was an outbreak of food poisoning or other sickness on the ship, proving negligence could be much more possible. Proving your injury was a case of negligence could be easier. If you slipped and fell on an object that reasonably shouldn’t have been there, or if you suffered a head injury due to an improperly secured light or decorative feature, investigating the cause of those accidents on an individual basis is much easier.
Hire a Clearwater Personal Injury Attorney
At Paulsen Law Group, we understand how frustrating it can feel to suffer sickness or injury while on vacation. Our Clearwater personal injury lawyer can help you fight for your right to compensation.
Contact us today for a free consultation.