Cruise Ship And Pleasure Boat Accidents: We Help You Claim Compensation

Cruise ship and pleasure boat accidents are distressing and frustrating, especially if you’ve spent significant sums of money on these trips. But if you or a family member has been injured, the impact can be particularly devastating. The personal injury team at ParrisWhittaker regularly acts for those injured in cruise ship accidents within the jurisdiction of The Bahamas.

It’s not uncommon to hear about cruise ship and boating accidents: in September an American tourist from Illinois died on a cruise ship in The Bahamas (it’s not yet known whether or not his death was accidental). In May this year, 18-year-old Cameron Robbins jumped off a small leisure vessel as a dare during a post-graduation sunset cruise trip. He never resurfaced.  Sadly, experts warn that when individuals fall overboard a cruise ship it normally ends in death.

In other cases, individuals enjoying a cruise can be struck down by sicknesses, ranging from food poisoning to legionnaires disease and other waterborne or airborne diseases.  Poorly maintained water and ventilation systems and substandard food safety practices are often to blame – but they are invariably avoidable.

Duty of care

Whether the injuries or illness happened following a deliberate or accidental act or omission, it is important to know that the owner or operator of the vessel owes several legal duties of care towards its passengers to minimise the risk of personal injury, illness or death. If they breach their duties and someone is injured, they can be brought to account – the injured person can claim compensation.

A breach of duty that leads to injuries or death can be so serious that it leads to criminal charges.  Recently, a powerboat operator pleaded guilty to two counts of involuntary manslaughter after two people were killed in July 2020 following a crash off the coast of Bimini in The Bahamas.

The operator had failed to maintain a proper lookout and breached speed safety requirements under the International Steering and Sailing Rules.

Where injuries have been caused by criminal conduct – and in any case where the authorities are investigating an accident – we will not hesitate to make inquiries and obtain documentary evidence, police reports, and other appropriate evidence. We will use this to build the strongest possible claim on your behalf.

What if I was to blame?

Even where the injured person was reckless or careless and ends up getting hurt – the operator of the vessel could still be held responsible. It’s therefore important not to assume you were to blame for what happened and can’t make a claim.

Always take expert legal advice about whether you could claim compensation. The fact is, even if you were partly responsible in law, you may still be able to claim. It just means that your compensation may be reduced to reflect what is known in law as ‘contributory negligence’.

What should I do now?

It is important to contact us as soon as possible for specialist advice, because time will quickly run out. In most personal injury compensation cases, you have three years to make a claim. However, this ‘limitation period’ is just two years where a claim is against a vessel, its owner or someone who was on board the vessel.

Be assured that each lawyer in the ParrisWhittaker personal injury team are experienced in representing those injured in pleasure boat and cruise ship incidents.  We fully appreciate the pain and distress you are experiencing. The impact of injuries can, in serious cases, be significant: you may have been left unable to work or undertake your usual leisure activities; your family and social life may also be severely impacted.

We will take full details of the wider impact of your injuries on your life and ensure any final compensation package reflects the full extent of the effects on your life. This will, of course, including your loss of earnings and other financial losses you’ve suffered directly after the accident.

How can we help?

Call now on +1.242.352.6112 for sympathetic and expert advice. You can be assured of excellent and robust representation with a view to concluding your case as early and fairly as possible.