What Steps Should You Take if Injured on a Cruise Ship?

If you’ve been injured on a cruise ship, there are certain actions you’ll want to take.

Your goal should be both to protect yourself and your health immediately following the accident. You also want to protect your rights and your ability to file a lawsuit – this often means acting immediately as well.

First and foremost is to seek help immediately for your injury. The quicker you can get first aid or have the ship’s doctor evaluate your injury, the more likely you are to receive the proper and accurate treatment needed to minimize further damage and pain.

When we talk with victims of cruise ship accidents, it’s the details that are important. The circumstance surrounding your injury will help us understand if you have a potential case against the cruise line.

Write down the contact information of anyone involved in the incident or anyone who was a witness to the incident. This is not easy to do, but the information can be helpful.  Get names, addresses, telephone numbers and emails of these passengers or crew members.

Take photographs of the scene and your injury. This will give our attorneys a frame of reference when researching the case and may offer clues to why the accident occurred (even if the scene had changed for some reason). A visual image of the scene may also help you recall specific details.

A written report of the accident should be filed with the cruise ship. It’s also important that you get a copy of that report. This incident report will be extremely helpful to a lawyer evaluating your case.

If possible, contact a cruise ship injury attorney while you are still on board the cruise ship. They may be able to offer helpful information about specific steps you can take while on the boat.

Once you’re back home, contact an attorney. Most people don’t know an attorney who specializes in cruise ship injuries and accidents. If this is the case, contact your local attorney and they can help you find an lawyer experienced in cruise ship accident cases. You’ll most likely need to contact a Florida based attorney. Starting this process immediately is important as lawsuits against the cruise lines will need to be filed within a fixed time frame after the accident occurred.

At Waks and Barnett, P.A., we are experienced cruise ship injury attorneys. Our firm works hard to help victims of cruise ship and other boating related accidents to file lawsuits if appropriate and obtain compensation for their injuries.

If you or someone you know was injured or became sick while on a cruise vacation, call us today to schedule a consultation. We’re here to help you. Contact us at 800-905-2891.