Slip and Fall Accidents on Cruise Ships

Cruise ship slip and fall accidents are the most common ways passengers and crew members are injured on a ship. A slip and fall accident on a cruise ship can happen on a many different floor surfaces and for a variety of reasons. They can happen on an open deck, by the pool, in a restaurant, theater or another common area. Other common examples may be due to slippery deck surfaces due to wear and tear, wet or foreign substances, dangerous flooring materials or during routine ship maintenance are all reasons why they can happen. Spilled drinks, loose flooring, even water tracked in by guests using swimming pools are also common reasons passenger can sustain serious injuries. Unfortunately, we have seen slip and falls on cruise ships in a number of different settings. At Gerson and Schwartz, PA our cruise ship slip and fall lawyers conduct regular vessel inspections and retain leading experts as part of our commitment to our clients in order to check for hidden or latent defects that may result in a cruise ship slip and fall. This is because under United Stares federal maritime law cruise ship operators and other marine going vessel surfaces are required to provide adequate slip resistance on deck surfaces both in wet and dry conditions. As part of our commitment to our clients, we retain leading experts in engineering, bio-mechanical experts, ship design, and other leading experts in the marine industry to evaluate floors, decks, and walkway surfaces in a slip and fall accident.

If you or a loved one sustain a serious injury on a cruise ship, our personal injury law firm may even conduct a vessel inspection so we can evaluate test and inspect the area where your accident occurred. Gerson and Schwartz law firm specializes in cruise ship slip and fall injury claims. Our cruise slip and fall attorneys are located in Miami, Florida close to the port of Miami. We routinely represent injured passengers against all the major cruise line operators. Our personal injury law firm has the experience and expertise to combat the cruise line companies for their negligence and hold them accountable in court. Though the cruise line will fight you, we will also fight back to protect your legal rights.

Why Cruise Ship Slip And Fall Accidents Are Common

A cruise ship has the same type slip and fall hazards that people encounter on shore or other land based environments. But, they also have a number of potential other safety hazards that are inherent to a marine environment. This includes corrosion from salt water, sea spray, and water tracked into high traffic areas from pool areas. Spilled drinks, wet or foreign substances, food in restaurants, loose flooring to water tracked in by guests using the swimming pools, even dim lighting in stairwells and hallways are all common causes. Cruise ship slips & falls can also be due to negligent design, negligent maintenance or due dangerous surfaces available due to the limited selection of deck and flooring materials that appear to be wood and other surfaces used on land. Severe weather, such as wind heavy rain, and rough seas are also common contributing factors.

Other cruise ship and maritime related slip, trip and fall accidents specific to cruise ships may be due to foreign objects that are blown over due to wind, or ship equipment that is not properly maintained or properly secured. If you were injured in a slip and fall accident don't delay. Contact a cruise ship slip and fall lawyer today by calling 1-877-475-2905 or send us an email at info@gslawusa.com

Common Causes of Slip, Trip and Fall Accidents our lawyers have experience include:

• Slip and Falls Due to Wet, Foreign, or Transitory Substances
  
• Cruise Ship Slip and Falls Accidents Due to Use of Slippery Surfaces
• Failing to Utilize Non Skid Strips, Mats, or Slip Resistant Materials
  
• Falls on Cruise Ships due to Tripping Hazards including Damaged Floors, Cracked or Broken Tiles or Uneven Surfaces 
• Cruise Ship Falls on Thresholds
  
• Slip, Trip, and Falls on Gangways
  
• Falls on Steps and Stairwells due to Raised Metal Nosing or Bunched Carpeting
• Ship Slip-and-Falls due to Negligent Failure to Correct or Maintain Common Areas
  
• Negligent Maintenance of Decks and other Floor Surfaces
  
• Failing to Warn of Known Danger About a Particular Floor or Surface
• Crew Member or Cruise Liner's Creating a Slip and Fall Hazard
  

Under federal maritime law, cruise line operators owe a legal duty of reasonable care. Like businesses ashore, cruise line operators and employees are legally responsible for keeping their decks, floor surfaces and other common areas on the vessel in a safe condition. The legal standard of reasonable care under the circumstances is not always not easy to delineate. How and what constitutes reasonable care is dependent on a number of factors. This includes providing verbal or visual warnings, to correct a dangerous area, or marking off areas where foreign substances and hazards may be. Visual and verbal warnings are important to ensure passenger safety. Foreign substances often make their way on cruise ships and their decks. If the dangerous condition existed long enough, regardless of who created it the dangerous condition, cruise line has a legal obligation to correct it and to warn passengers. If it does not and you are injured as a result, the cruise line is responsible for the injuries that result. 

Knowledge of a risk other dangerous condition is also required under United States federal maritime law. Other factors a cruise ship slip and fall accident lawyer will analyze is the number of prior slip and fall incidents that have occurred. We also look to see what the cruise line operators knowledge of potential dangers and whether a cruise line had reason to know of a hidden or latent danger and what the cruise line did or failed to about in light of their knowledge.

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Under the law, cruise liners also owe a legal duty to warn customers about known dangers. The legal duty to warn does not just apply to wet or foreign substances but to any danger that the cruise line knew or should have known. Examples of inadequate warnings on a ship may include the failure to use a caution or wet floors sign while performing routine cleaning or maintenance, or simply failing to mark off an area that has just been cleaned. If the cruise line creates a dangerous condition or fails to take reasonable safety and security measures they are responsible for all injuries and harms they have caused. If you were injured in a slip and fall accident on a cruise due to the negligence of the ship or their employees you may be entitled to recover financial compensation for your injuries.