If you sail with Celebrity, Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, or just about any other major cruise line, the fine print on your tickets spells out the limitations placed on you for seeking compensation if you are injured, sickened, or assaulted while on a cruise. Read this carefully before setting sail, so you’ll know what to do if you are injured on your cruise. Filing Suit in South Florida Most major cruise lines require that if you file suit against them that you do so in southern Florida, usually Miami or Fort Lauderdale. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled long ago that cruise lines may do this. It doesn’t matter where you happen to live: if you file suit, you have to do so where the cruise line specifies. You Don’t Have Much Time Cruise lines don’t give you much time to pursue compensation after an injury, illness, or assault. You have to report your intentions within six months, and you only have one year in which to file suit. Cruise lines are notorious for delaying responses to passenger inquiries after an accident. Sometimes they don’t respond at all, and after a year has passed, they’re off the hook. When a Cruise Ship Injury Lawsuit is necessary.
If you’re injured on a cruise, contact a cruise line injury law firm like Maus Law Firm at the first opportunity. Due to the one-year limit on filing suit, you must be prepared to act quickly. Even if a suit is filed, it may not go to trial if a satisfactory settlement can be reached. But you need to be prepared to sue if the cruise line refuses to respond out of court. The Cruise Line Injury Law Firm Miami and Fort Lauderdale are home to law firms specializing in cruise injury suits. Cruise lawsuits are very complex, and attorneys without specific cruise experience may not be successful at holding cruise lines responsible for passenger injuries. State, federal, and maritime law may apply, and most general practice attorneys do not have the necessary experience to prevail against cruise lines. Be prepared by choosing a law firm with specific cruise lawsuit experience.