Cruise Ship Trip and Falls

A trip and fall on a cruise ship can quickly turn a dream vacation into a nightmare. Over the years, our personal injury law firm has represented numerous passengers and crew members that sustain serious bodily harm from hidden or latent dangers leading to trip and falls. Most common are trips or falls on uneven steps, staircases and stairwells. A trip or fall on a ship occurs when there is forward movement that is impaired or impeded by a unstable surface or dangerous surface. This danger is compounded by the natural motion of a cruise ship along with its proximity to water makes the risk of a fall greater than when walking on land. Cruise ship trips and falls can cause serious injuries that often necessitate hospitalization, surgery, and periods of disability. Many cruise ship operators almost uniformly blame the injury victim claiming that the fall happened because the passenger or crew members was not paying attention. We know this is not true.  A cruise ship trip and fall is usually foreseeable and preventable and is usually due to some sort of negligence by the ship or crew.

At Gerson & Schwartz, PA Our cruise ship trip and fall attorneys are here to help. Our cruise ship attorneys are experienced fighting cruise line companies and holding them accountable for their negligence. We understand the substantive and procedural legal issues that injury victims must face. The cruise line may fight you, but we will also fight back to protect you too. 

Why Falls Happen on Cruise Ships

The risk of falling down steps or a flight of stairs on a cruise ship are higher because of the lack of uniform building standards and safety codes. Most land based environments such as Florida resort and many other premises are subject to the Florida Building Codes, industry standards, other pedestrian safety regulations and are designed to promote uniformity and safety. However, cruise ships are not required to comply with these standards, so risers, banisters, steps, and treads can have atypical and unsafe dimensions. Passengers may encounter uneven steps or treads resulting in a trip and fall accident due to wear and tear. The lack of uniformity in the construction of cruise ship stairways and steps on cruise ships can significantly increase the risk of a trip and fall accident.

A tumble down a flight of stairs can result in broken bones, traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, paralysis, fractures, and other serious injuries. Our Florida cruise ship attorneys have handled many cruise ship trip and fall cases against all the major cruise lines including Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, Holland America, Disney Cruise Lines, Norwegian, Holland America and others. We understand the special legal and factual challenges involved in representing injured passengers and crew members who suffer serious injuries.

While the lack of safety regulations to ensure the safe design and construction of stairwells and steps on cruise ships constitutes a cause of many falls, there are other factors that can also increase the risk of suffering debilitating injuries. Negligence that causes falls on the stairs of a cruise ship include:

• Bunching of carpet on a step
• Carpeting that becomes depressed
• Inadequate illumination near the stairwell or steps
• Improper repairs
• Loose or missing handrail
• Uneven surfaces
• Improper flooring materials
• Failure to conduct routine inspections
• Improper tread size
• Failure to warn

Although passengers and staff injured in a fall on stairs or steps of a cruise line should promptly report their accident and seek medical attention, caution must be used when speaking to the ship security officers and medical staff. The security personnel typically investigate by taking pictures of the accident scene, the passenger, and the passenger's clothing. The investigation will also include talking to witnesses and obtaining written statements. The doctor also is trained to ask questions designed to provide the foundation for a defense strategy. This approach by the ship's staff makes it important for you to describe all of the hazards that contributed to your fall. Passengers injured in falls down the stairs of a cruise ship also need to seek prompt legal advice from an experienced Florida cruise line staircase accident lawyer.

While broken steps and unsafe staircases can exist both in a Florida resort and on a cruise ship, there are special issues for cruise passengers that necessitate legal representation by a knowledgeable Florida cruise ship accident lawyer. Our attorneys can assist you in negotiating complex issues that include applicable law, the proper jurisdiction to hear the case, and gathering all evidence needed to pursue a legal claim against the cruise line.

If you are a passenger or employee of a cruise line who suffers injury caused by a fall on an improperly maintained step or unsafe stairs don't wait. Time is working against you. Contact a Florida cruise ship accident attorney at Gerson & Schwartz, P.A. at (877) 475-2905 or email us at info@gslawusa.com for help.