If you get sick on a cruise, your dream vacation can quickly turn into a nightmare. We’ve all read the stories about cruise ship passengers suffering from serious illnesses. Stories of illnesses like food poisoning, norovirus, Legionnaires’ disease, and other illnesses are all too common among cruise ship passengers.
If you become a victim of a cruise ship sickness, you may have the right to compensation. You may need to work with an experienced cruise ship lawyer to assert and protect your rights. It’s important to know how to respond when you become sick on a cruise.
Do I Have the Right to Sue If I Become Sick on a Cruise?
You have the right to sue if you become sick on a cruise if your sickness is the result of another party’s negligence, recklessness or intentional actions. For example, if the cruise line fails to take adequate food safety measures and you get food poisoning as a result, you may sue because you became sick. As long as your illness is the result of the actions of a third party, usually the cruise line, you may sue if you become ill on a cruise.
Can I Sue a Cruise Line for an Illness?
Cruise lines have an obligation to take reasonable steps to keep their passengers safe. If the cruise lines fail in their duty of reasonable passenger care, you may be able to sue the cruise line for your injuries and losses. You must have serious, documentable illness or injury as a result of the actions of the cruise ship or cruise ship employees. In many cases, you can successfully sue a cruise line if you suffer illness while on a cruise.
Do I Have a Legal Case Against the Cruise Line Because of Sickness?
To determine if you have a legal case against the cruise line because of sickness, you investigate the cause of the illness. You determine whether there’s anything that the cruise line should have done differently that could have prevented the illness. For example, if you get sick because of seasickness and extreme volatility of the waves, it may be because the cruise line didn’t take the time to examine the weather and the ocean conditions to steer clear of the strong waves. You may need to conduct an investigation to determine the underlying cause of the events leading to your illness. Your cruise ship attorney can help you perform the investigation.
Even if the illness doesn’t seem like it’s the fault of the cruise line, there may be underlying causes that you’re not aware of. The cruise line is responsible for the actions of their employees. The cruise line may even be responsible for the actions of other guests or third-party vendors. The cruise line has an obligation to supervise guests and provide adequate security. If you suffer an illness on a cruise ship, it’s best to evaluate your case with an experienced attorney to determine whether the cruise ship is the responsible party. The cruise ship company may be liable in ways that you don’t immediately realize.
Jurisdiction and Venue for a Cruise Lawsuit
If you’re hurt on a cruise, an issue that you need to be aware of for your cruise lawsuit is jurisdiction and venue. The question of jurisdiction and venue is the question of where you file your lawsuit. You may have bought the cruise in one state, boarded the cruise in another state or country, and gotten sick in yet another state or country. In addition, the cruise ship headquarters might be in another location, and the ship itself may be registered in another country entirely. With so many different places involved, it can be confusing to know where to bring your case.
When you bought your ticket, there may have been a choice of jurisdiction as part of the ticket. That contract language may say where you should bring your claim. Your attorney should review the language in the ticket contract, if it exists, to see if it’s enforceable. In many cases, Florida is the forum of choice for a cruise lawsuit claim. Jurisdiction and venue is an important thing to be aware of as you determine how to respond to a cruise ship illness.
How Can an Attorney for Cruise Ship Sicknesses Help Me?
When you work with a cruise ship injury attorney, there are a number of ways that they help you pursue your claim, including:
- Investigating the cause of the sickness
- Documenting your illnesses and gathering proof of your injuries
- Evaluating your claim and determining the approximate value of your case
- Establishing the appropriate jurisdiction and venue to file your claim
- Negotiating directly with the cruise ship company before filing the claim
- Drafting your legal documents
- Preparing legal strategy and filing preliminary motions
- Gathering the evidence for trial
- Participating in settlement negotiations
- Handling all contact with the cruise line
- Offering sound legal advice on whether to accept a settlement or take your case to trial
- Presenting your case at trial; questioning witnesses, making arguments to the jury
- Helping you structure a settlement in a way that protects your interests
When you work with an attorney for cruise ship illnesses, they help you with all of the many steps involved in your claim. You can rest assured that you have a knowledgeable and experienced legal team helping you take action to receive compensation.
Contact Our Cruise Ship Sickness Lawyers
Your time to bring a legal claim after a cruise ship sickness is limited. Because there are many locations involved, the exact time limit you have to bring a case may vary. It’s important to contact an attorney for cruise ship injury as soon as possible.
Work With Our Attorneys for Cruise Ship Injuries
Did you get sick on a cruise? Are you wondering what your options are after a cruise ship illness? You may have the right to claim compensation. Working with an experienced attorney for cruise ship illnesses can help you ensure that you get fair compensation for your cruise ship illness.
The attorneys at Jack Bernstein, Injury Attorneys, have thousands of satisfied personal injury clients. Our attorneys are passionate about helping injured victims. For a confidential and free consultation, contact our attorneys today to talk about your case.
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For more than 40 years, personal injury lawyer Jack G. Bernstein has protected the rights of individuals who have been injured in a variety of circumstances. Throughout his career, Bernstein has been a strategist thoroughly dedicated to the idea of protecting the rights of his clients. Mr. Bernstein is a member of the Florida State Bar Association, the Hillsborough Bar Association and the Clearwater Bar Association.
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