Cruise Ship and Boating Accidents

Miami Cruise Ship and Boating Accident Lawyers

Maritime and Admiralty law are specialized areas of the law that regulate injuries and accidents of passengers and crew on ships, yachts, and boats. If you were injured as a passenger or seamen (crew) in a cruise ship accident or any other boating or watercraft accident, maritime attorney, David S. Farber, will help you fight for just compensation for your medical expenses, pain and suffering, and lost wages.

Injured In a Cruise Ship Or Boating Accident?

Thousands of passengers travel on cruise ships each year and many are injured on the ship, tenders, and on shore excursions. Since many passengers hail from distant locations with different laws, they may not know that many, if not all, cruise lines insert a statute of limitations clause in their passenger contract requiring an injured passenger to bring an action for damages within one year or be forever barred from bringing a lawsuit. Also very restrictive, cruise lines usually include in their contract with you that these lawsuits must be brought in Federal Court in the United States District Court for the Southern District in Miami.

Since you may not consult a lawyer for several months after you return home and/or the extent of your injury may not be fully diagnosed or determined, your hometown lawyer may not know about these restrictions and may inadvertently jeopardize your rights if your lawsuit is not filed in the correct court within the one-year time limit. Only certain lawyers, like David S. Farber of The Farber Law Firm, are licensed to practice in Federal Court, including, but not limited to, the United States District Court for the Southern District of Miami.

What To Do If You Have Been Injured

If you have been injured on a cruise ship, tender or on a shore excision, seek immediate medical help and report the incident to the cruise line. Oftentimes, the cruise line will argue that the injury was not reported to it and therefore it did not happen as a result of its negligence. Don’t be victimized twice (once by the injury and now the defense). If you or a companion are capable, photograph the area/condition, retain your clothing/shoes (without cleaning them when you get home), write down witnesses’ names, telephone numbers, addresses, and document who you spoke with at the cruise line and what he/she specifically stated. Also immediately consult with an experienced passenger attorney admitted to practice in Federal Court.