Video Credit: ABC11.com
Monday’s bus crash in the Bahamas has left more than 30 people injured, many of whom were passengers on the Carnival Ecstasy.
The crash occurred near Rock Sound in Eleuthra, a small Bahama’s island East of Nassau, around 11am.
Authorities say the bus flipped, though details of the incident remain unclear. A team of investigators was sent from Nassau and the government initiated a national disaster plan to deal with the situation.
At least four tourists were critically injured and due to the severity of those injuries, were airlifted by an American C-130 plane to Broward Health in Fort Lauderdale. Some reports say at least 7 passengers were critically injured.
The passengers were on a shore excursion when the accident happened and were part of a 5 night cruise that had departed from Jacksonville, Florida. Some passengers were allowed to return to the trip. A statement from Carnival Cruise Line said all 32 passengers were assessed at a local clinic and 28 were cleared.
A article in the Orlando Sentinel reported, “The tour was part of Carnival Ecstasy’s shore excursion options when at port at Princess Cays, Bahamas. Billed as the Cathedral Cove, Ocean Hole and Rock Sound Island Tour, it’s an ecotourism tour of Eleuthera.” Read more here.
Read more about this excursion boat crash:
Eye Witness News: Bus accident in Eleuthera leaves tourists injured
Fox News: Four people, 3 critical, airlifted to US after cruise line tour bus crashes in Bahamas
Shore excursion injuries – what you need to know
For cruise ship passengers who were hurt or injured in a shore excursion accident, filing an injury claim and litigating that claim can be very difficult. Determining the defendant can be tricky – is it the cruise line or the tour operator or both?
Jurisdiction must also be established as the incidents generally occur in foreign countries.
Suing for an injury can be a complex situation requiring experienced lawyers who have worked on similar cases against numerous cruise lines and excursion operators. Excursion operators can be related to the cruise line, either directly or indirectly. This means they, or the cruise line itself, may be liable for your injuries.
Cruise ship injury attorneys can help passengers answer questions they might have and provide legal guidance.