Injured on a Celebrity Cruise Ship?

This cruise line is a subsidiary of Royal Caribbean. It operates some of the largest such vessels in the world. The new Solstice class ships, including the Celebrity Reflection and Celebrity Eclipse, weigh about 125,000 tons and can carry 3,000 or more passengers. As ships get larger, they incorporate even more activities to lure passengers. Many of these huge ships go on transatlantic voyages from the Florida area to the Galapagos Islands and back. The extended amount of time away from port intensifies the risk for serious injury.

Aggressive attorneys from Gerson & Schwartz, PA, stand up for the legal and financial rights of injury victims. Our professional team works hard to hold cruise ship companies liable for the economic and noneconomic damages that they negligently inflict. We are committed to your complete recovery, both financially and physically, and we stand by you every step of the way.

Most Celebrity Cruise vessels are more like floating amusement parks than ships. There are a number of intense on-board physical activities offered in gyms, dance clubs, and other venues. Many of these venues and activities are supervised by only a skeleton crew who may lack experience in that area. Finally, the medical facilities on board these vessels may be inadequate to deal with major trauma incidents, so the risk of injury is multiplied even further.

Passengers are at risk for both unintentional torts, like falls, and intentional torts, such as assaults. Cruise ship owners have a duty to keep passengers reasonably safe, since these individuals are considered invitees. Furthermore, in some cases, Florida law may hold property owners liable for the crimes that are committed by third parties, whether the third party is a crew member or another guest.

In addition to common law, the duty of reasonable care comes from a variety of statutory laws, including:

• International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea: SOLAS sets very strict standards for essential items like fire safety, crew competency, vessel integrity, and lifesaving equipment. If the vessel is substandard in any way, this noncompliance is evidence of negligence.

• Shipping Act: 46 U.S.C. 1702(6) essentially states that oceangoing vessels, including cruise ships, have a duty to deliver passengers safely to their destinations, and protect them against both shipboard injuries and threats from armed pirates.

Other laws may apply as well, such as 18 U.S.C. 7, which covers civil jurisdiction, and Florida Statute 910.006, which extends law enforcement jurisdiction to cruise ships.

In most cases, claims for damages on board Celebrity Cruise ships must be brought in federal court under Florida law. Typically, the Sunshine State has a one-years statute of limitations on these claims, and the cruise ship owners often impose an additional requirement of a written notice filed no more than six months after the injury.

A cruise ship injury permanently mars what should be a thrilling experience. For a free consultation with an assertive personal injury lawyer in Miami, contact Gerson & Schwartz, PA. An attorney can arrange for victims to receive ongoing medical care, even if they have no money and no insurance.