People who have tried to pursue compensation for injuries suffered on cruise ships are lucky to get a response at all. At most, the typical big cruise company will offer a free cruise to the injured party. But that’s not much help if an injury caused you to have to miss work or accrue medical bills that can easily exceed the cost of a cruise.
Statutes of Limitations
You may think that the terms and conditions listed in the fine print on your cruise tickets won’t matter to you, but nothing could be further from the truth. Cruise lines usually only allow you one year from the date you are injured, sickened, or assaulted on a cruise in which to pursue compensation. You agree to those terms when you purchase your cruise tickets.
Jurisdictions
While a simple trip and fall injury may seem like a straightforward legal problem, cruise ship injuries may be subject to laws of multiple jurisdictions, including maritime law, state law, and laws of any foreign country visited on the cruise. Even highly successful attorneys who don’t have direct experience with cruise cases can experience great difficulty trying to successfully litigate a cruise line injury lawsuit.
Venues
It’s far easier to find a cruise law firm in places like South Florida than in other parts of the United States. There are two reasons for this. First, more cruise ships depart from this area than any other place in the U.S., and second, cruise lines specify in their terms and conditions that cases must be litigated in specific places, usually in South Florida. This applies whether you live in South Florida or not.
Experienced Attorneys Vital to Pursuing Cruise Lines
A cruise law firm that has successfully obtained compensation for people injured on cruise ships and during land excursions that take place during cruise vacations is absolutely critical to your success in pursuing justice after a cruise injury. The laws are very complex and unlike any other area of law. To be fairly compensated, you have to work quickly, and you have to have an attorney with experience dealing with cruise companies.