Tampa Cruise Ship Accidents Attorneys
Recovering Compensation After a Cruise Ship Accident
Vacationers flock to Tampa by the thousands, excited to experience the luxuries awaiting them on a long-anticipated cruise. Yet all too often, what should be a relaxing vacation ends in serious injury.
There are countless ways for cruise line passengers to end up seriously injured. When this happens to you or a loved one, a cruise ship accident lawyer can help you recover compensation for the damage you have suffered.
Frank and Jennifer Fernandez are leaders in Tampa, FL, personal injury law. If you were injured on a cruise ship, call Fernandez Firm Accident Injury Attorneys today to learn more about how we can help.
Reasons to Choose Fernandez Firm Accident Injury Attorneys
$100 Million Recovered and Over 25 Years of Experience
For over 25 years, Frank and Jennifer Fernandez have represented injured clients in Tampa. During that time, we have garnered thousands of positive online reviews and recovered over $100 million for our injured clients. A serious injury can have a lifelong impact on your finances, health, and overall quality of life. When you need compensation to cover the damage done by a cruise accident, Fernandez Firm Accident Injury Attorneys has the track record you need.
You Do Not Pay Unless We Win
The law is on your side when a cruise ship’s negligence leads to injury. You deserve compensation for a cruise company’s negligence, but your success could depend on working with a skilled lawyer.
Do not make fighting for justice a gamble and at Fernandez Firm Accident Injury Attorneys, we make sure it is not one. We will take on your case if we think we can win, but you do not have to pay unless we are successful.
Nationally Recognized Trial Attorneys
Most personal injury cases settle out of court, and much of the time, that works out to the lawyer’s benefit. Not all personal injury lawyers are confident or skilled enough to take on the legal battle of seeking a court verdict. Frank and Jennifer Fernandez are nationally recognized, award-winning trial attorneys. We are always ready for the challenge of going to court if that is what is required to gain you a fair financial outcome.
Personal Attention to Every Case
Fernandez Firm Accident Injury Attorneys is a small personal injury firm, and we keep it that way for a reason. When you choose a large law firm, your case may be handed off to a less experienced lawyer, or you may be left confused about which lawyer is even handling your case. Frank and Jennifer Fernandez personally handle every case. We build relationships with each client and get to know your case details inside and out, ensuring you receive the quality representation you deserve.
Understanding the Risk of Cruise Ship Injuries
Tampa, FL, stands among the top Florida port cities for cruise line departures and stopping points. Data from the Tampa Port Authority shows that over 1 million cruise line passengers pass through Port Tampa Bay in some years.
No one departs for a cruise thinking that their vacation at sea might end in tragedy, yet this is the outcome for hundreds of cruise ship passengers.
Passengers regularly fall victim to injuries, both intentional and unintentional. In addition to the wide range of possible accidents aboard cruise ships, some passengers fall victim to crimes. There has been no shortage of news headlines in recent years covering incidents of sexual assault, missing persons, and murder aboard cruise ships.
Common Types of Cruise Ship Accidents
Cruise ship accidents are unique, but the ways that passengers are injured are not.
Many of the most common accidents that occur on cruise ships are similar to accidents that could happen on land. One three-year study found that slip and fall accidents are the most frequent source of cruise ship injury, accounting for nearly 45 percent of cruise passenger injuries.
Drownings are another significant safety risk. Several children have drowned in recent years while swimming in pools aboard cruise ships.
While these types of accidents can happen on land just as easily as aboard a cruise ship, passengers also have specific dangers to worry about. Around 300 people have fallen overboard in the past two decades while traveling on cruise ships.
Cruise ships can also sink, run aground, catch fire, or suffer mechanical failure and passengers have no escape when such accidents happen in the middle of the ocean.
Cases Frequently Seen by Our Tampa Cruise Ship Accidents Lawyers
The most common injuries and accidents that cruise ship accidents lawyers see include:
- Slip and fall accidents
- Drownings
- Falling overboard accidents
- Physical assaults
- Sexual assaults
- Inadequate medical care for illnesses
- Passenger disappearances
- Food poisoning
- Communicable illnesses
- Gangway accidents
- Accidents on outings and excursions
Many cruise lines stop off at different ports along the journey, and passengers participate in activities as part of their cruise packages. Sometimes, these adventures have unintended outcomes, including passenger deaths and serious injuries.
Sexual assault is the most frequently reported cruise ship crime and one of the most common causes of injuries. One recent study found that in the past two decades, there were around 500 cases of reported sexual assault aboard cruise lines.
Given that around 63 percent of rape cases go unreported, it is safe to conclude that the true number of sexual assaults aboard cruise ships is significantly higher than reports indicate. The lack of law enforcement aboard a cruise ship can also make victims more reluctant to come forward and report sexual crimes to cruise line employees.
Frank and Jennifer Fernandez want to help passengers who did not receive the fun and memorable vacation they paid for. For these common cruise line injuries, a Tampa cruise ship accident lawyer can help the injured victim or their loved ones gain compensation.
What to Do After a Cruise Ship Accident
The best way to protect yourself after a cruise ship accident is to preserve as much evidence as possible. Cruise lines have medical staff aboard. When you are treated for an injury aboard a cruise ship, the medical staff will write a detailed report of your injuries and the medical care you received.
Since cruise lines do not have police officers aboard, you must report any accidents or injuries to the crew. The cruise line may ask you to submit an account of the incident.
It is important to be careful while writing up a description of how the accident occurred. Make sure to list the facts carefully, but never admit fault, apologize, or imply that you were careless or responsible for the injury that occurred.
You should keep copies of all documentation related to the accident, including the cruise line’s incident report, the medical report, and your account of the accident.
When an accident occurs aboard a cruise ship, the cruise and attending medical staff will likely be considerate and sympathetic. However, you need to be aware that cruise ship employees represent the company they work for.
A cruise ship company aims to save money and avoid bad press and other consequences that hurt their business. When an accident happens during a cruise, the cruise line’s primary concern is to shift blame onto the victim.
You should contact an experienced Tampa cruise ship accident lawyer as soon as possible after you sustain an injury aboard a cruise line. A lawyer should get involved in your case immediately if you hope to recover fair compensation for your injuries.
How Frank and Jennifer Fernandez Maximize Compensation
Frank and Jennifer Fernandez are experienced, personal injury attorneys. We handle many injury cases, including cruise accidents, in Tampa, FL. We know what it takes to build a strong argument for compensation after an accident, and our track record and practice history show that we know how to deliver justice to our clients.
When representing clients injured aboard a cruise ship, we have two primary tasks: proving negligence and fighting for compensation.
Those who are injured while on a cruise must prove that the cruise line somehow failed to adequately protect their safety. We will review the details of your accident and work to build an argument proving that the cruise line’s negligence directly resulted in your injuries.
Once we can demonstrate this, the cruise line can then be held liable for the costs associated with the injury.
Damages After a Tampa Cruise Ship Accident
We establish a target compensation value for clients by considering how a cruise ship accident has affected them financially, physically, and emotionally. Compensation for a cruise ship accident can include economic or non-economic damages.
Economic damages reimburse the actual costs associated with the accident, while non-economic damages compensate for the emotional toll of such an accident.
You can receive compensation for items that include:
- Medical bills
- Medical devices
- Therapist costs
- Lost wages and benefits
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional anguish
- Disfigurement and embarrassment
Compensation in a cruise accident case is always a unique amount. Which losses your accident qualifies you to seek compensation for depends on the costs you have incurred and the long-term consequences of your injuries.
For example, suppose cruise accident injuries leave you unable to return to work. In that case, you could receive the anticipated lifetime wages you would have expected to earn if the accident had not taken place.
When a cruise accident results in the death of a loved one, you can file a wrongful death claim seeking compensation for the loss. In any type of Florida personal injury case involving a cruise ship accident, it is essential to contact a lawyer immediately after the accident. Florida law limits how long you have to seek compensation for injuries.
Additionally, cruise lines often have even shorter time frames to pursue compensation. These limits may be listed in the fine print of the agreement you signed when you purchased your ticket. Quick action is the best way to ensure your lawyer has enough time to fight for you.
Why You Need a Cruise Ship Accidents Lawyer
Tampa cruise ship accidents are not like other personal injury accidents in Florida. Sea vessels, cruise ships included, are often subject to a different set of laws called maritime law.
A typical personal injury lawyer might not be the best person to help you recover compensation; instead, you should speak to a cruise ship accidents lawyer who understands the specific laws that apply when an incident occurs at sea.
Factors that can affect the legal proceedings for a cruise accident include:
- The country under which a cruise ship sails
- Whether the ship was docked in port or at sea
- Whether the injury happened on or off the cruise ship
- How far from the shoreline the cruise ship was
Navigating a cruise ship accident claim requires expertise in the intricacies of legal jurisdiction and maritime law. If a cruise accident occurs at a port or within 12 nautical miles of another country’s shoreline, the legal complexities can complicate the process of gaining compensation.
A cruise ship accident lawyer’s job is to handle these legal intricacies for you while negotiating a fair settlement with the cruise line’s insurance company. The insurance company representing a cruise line will always work to minimize damages and try to place blame on the victim.
You need an experienced cruise ship accidents lawyer to fight back and defend your financial interests if you hope to receive fair compensation.
Call Frank and Jennifer Fernandez to Start Your Cruise Ship Accident Claim Today
Frank and Jennifer Fernandez are skilled personal injury lawyers in Tampa, FL. For over 25 years, Fernandez Firm Accident Injury Attorneys has fought for injured clients in Tampa personal injury cases. During that time, we have recovered over $100 million for our clients and earned many awards and distinctions. We are known for our willingness to take cases to trial and our skilled litigation in the courtroom.
If you were injured aboard a cruise ship, compensation is possible with the right representation.
Call Frank and Jennifer Fernandez at Fernandez Firm Accident Injury Attorneys at (813) 278-1032 or contact us online to learn how we can help you recover compensation for a cruise ship accident.
Schedule a Free Initial Consultation Today!
The Fernandez Firm – Tampa Office
2503 W Swann Ave #100,
Tampa, FL 33609
Phone: (863) 230-8489