I was injured on a cruise ship - What are my legal rights?

As Jones Act and maritime law attorneys, we are often asked about the law governing cruise ships

Broadly speaking, thttp://cisatbloggers.cisat.jmu.edu/jordanae/photos/cruise_ship.jpghere are two types of injuries on a cruise ship.  

1.  Crewmember injuries;

2.  Passenger injuries;

The law is different for each category.  For instance, crewmembers who are injured on the vessel are generally Jones Act seamen and are permitted to sue under the Jones Act. 

 

For passengers, general maritime law will probably apply, and depending on what kind of cruise ship it is, and the type of ticket you purchased, there may be a very short time to file your case and your choice of "venue" (where you file the lawsuit) may be extremely limited.

Finding an attorney who sues cruise ships is not easy because the vast, vast majority of attorneys have never helped and will never help a client with a case against a cruise ship.

If you were injured on a cruise ship, whether you are a crewmember or a passenger, please take some time to read our book on maritime injury cases and read this website and some of the articles below before hiring legal counsel.

Want to know more about maritime injury cases? 

We strive to provide the best, most professional, and most effective representation to workers in the offshore industry.  We are based in Houston, Texas.  We represent offshore workers all over the world.

To learn more about our law firm and what we can do for you, please visit the following websites:

www.vbattorneys.com

www.maritimeaccidentattorney.com

www.houstoninjuryaccidentlaw.com

If you want to know more about offshore injury claims, please take a moment to read the following articles:

1.  How to hire the best lawyer for your Jones Act or offshore injury case

2.  What is the Jones Act?

3.  What is a Longshoreman and What Are Their Legal Rights When Injured?

4.  The difference between the Jones Act and the Longshore & Harbor Worker's Compensation Act

5.  The Truth About Offshore Injury Claims.

6.  What Should You Do If You Are Injured Offshore

7.  What you should know if you were hurt offshore and your employer is giving you a hard time

8.  Should I give my employer or the insurance company a "recorded statement?"

9.  Do I need to hire a lawyer for my Jones Act or offshore injury claim?

10.  What happens when you file a Jones Act lawsuit.

11.  6 Critical Things you must know if you are injured at sea

12. The Secrets Your Employer May Not Want You To Know If You Are Injured Offshore.

 

If you are injured on a cruise ship, you have legal rights

Houston and Galveston have two of the busiest ports in the country for cruise ship business.  Most of the major cruise ship companies make port in Galveston or the Port of Houston, or both.

Cruise ship vacations can be great fun.  However, too often, injuries occur on cruise ships that were preventable.

If you are injured on a cruise ship, you have legal remedies.  Your case most likely falls under "maritime law," so you will want to hire an experience maritime attorney to review your case.

In the meantime, there are two broad catergories of "maritime law" that apply to your case if you are hurt on a cruise ship.  Your legal remedies will depend on what you were doing on the cruise ship when you were hurt.

1.  Cruise ship employees

If you were employed by the cruise ship and working on the ship when you got hurt, then you are most likely a Jones Act "seaman" (or seamwoman). 

That means you are entitled to claim a monetary recovery under the Jones Act for any injuries you sustain, your medical care, you lost wages (both past and future), as well as your human damages like pain and suffering, mental anguish, and other simliar claims.

Curious about the Jones Act?  Click here for a general overview of the Jones Act.

2.  Cruise ship passengers

If you were a passenger on a cruise ship, then you are probably entitled to recover for your injuries under "General Maritime Law." 

General maritime law is not as favorable as the Jones Act.

However, you can probably still make a monetary recovery if you can prove that the cruise ship, or one of its employees, failed to exercise reasonable care for the safety of the passengers. 

Cruise lines owe a duty to exercise reasonable care for the safety of the passengers as well as reasonable care under all the circumstances.

3.  Conclusion

Our firm regularly handles cruise ship injury claims.  We have represented both cruise line passengers as well as cruise line employees.  We have handled cases against most of the major cruise lines.

If you have been injured in a cruise line accident, we would be happy to assist you in your claim.

Want to know more about offshore injury claims? 

Below are some links to some suggested articles offering helpful tips and advice regarding offshore injury claims.

Click here to read an article with helpful suggestions and tips on how to hire the best lawyer for your offshore injury case.

Curious about the Jones Act?  Click here for a general overview of the Jones Act.

Want to know more about the Longshore and Harbor Worker's Compensation Act?  Click here to read the article "What is a Longshoreman and What Are Their Legal Rights When Injured?

Want to know the difference between the Jones Act and the Longshore and Harbor Worker's Compensation Act?  Click here to read about the difference between the two.

What to know the truth about offshore injury cases?  Click here to read The Truth About Offshore Injury Claims.

Want to know what you should do after an offshore injury to preserve your legal rights?  Click here to read  What Should You Do If You Are Injured Offshore

If you are hurt and your employer is giving you a hard time, click here to read "I was injured on the job and my employer is giving me a hard time - What should I do"

Employer trying to get you to give a recorded statement?  Click here to learn the truth about recorded statements and the best way to handle this request.

Thinking about trying to settle your offshore injury case without talking to a lawyer first?  Click here to learn why you can settle some cases yourself but in other cases not having a lawyer may be a TERRIBLE MISTAKE.

Want to know what happens when you file an offshore injury or Jones Act case?  Click here to learn about Filing a Jones Act lawsuit.

Click here to learn about 6 Critical Things you must know if you are Injured At Sea

Your employer may be keeping secrets from you if you are hurt offshore.  Click here to read about The Secrets Your Employer May Not Want You To Know If You Are Injured Offshore.