Cruise ship trips are said to be exciting and memorable experiences for many people. You get to forget everyday worries for a short while, relax, and enjoy several scenic splendours while onboard a cruise. Apart from that, you can meet and interact with new people and participate in several interesting activities geared for everybody.
However, the experience can turn south really quickly in the case of an accident or injury occurring while onboard the ship. Some of them may commonly include fires, slip and falls, drownings, sexual assaults, crimes, or food poisoning. Most people are said to not have any worries of inauspicious events taking place while they’re on a cruise ship trip. Thus, many get confused and don’t know what to do in case of an unfortunate incident.
Steps To Take In Case Of A Cruise Ship Injury
It’s said that cruise line staff members may only be concerned about protecting themselves and their company from any legal liability in case of a disastrous event. In such a situation, you yourself may be your only source of help.
Therefore, if you’ve got injured on a cruise ship, this article could be of great help to you. The most important thing to do in such an instance is to contact an attorney who deals with these cases. You could look for lawyers’ websites like lipcon.com or others over the Internet to get one. Alternatively, ask for friends’ referrals too.
A lawyer can be quite helpful if you’re involved in a cruise ship accident or got hurt as a result of one. They’ll examine the situation, then determine if you qualify for compensation for pain, medical bills, and any other damages you may have suffered. If they establish that you’re entitled to possible reparations, they could expertly defend your rights in court and make sure you get the justice you deserve.
However, there are other steps you should also personally take. These are:
Seek Treatment Immediately
After an accident, it’s advisable to seek the appropriate treatment immediately. In most cases, these vacation cruise ships have facilities like infirmaries, where you can seek medical attention promptly. If the physician you meet asks you to pay for the care received, don’t be alarmed. This may be expected in most of these sailing crafts.
That being so, these two factors shouldn’t deter you from seeking treatment. If your lawyer determines that the cause of your accident was due to cruise ship staff negligence, then all these expenses could be reimbursed back to you.
Immediate medical attention is necessary for these kinds of accidents. It’s because, if you allow any room for delays, the cruise ship company may use this as a line of defence. They could claim that you asked for treatment late because either the injuries weren’t caused on the ship or you weren’t hurt at all. As a result, you may lose the compensation you may be deserving. Therefore, if you encounter an incident that causes you suffering while onboard, it’s essential to seek treatment first.
Collect And Keep Pieces Of Evidence
The next step is to document everything that happened. To do this, you could take pictures of what may have led to the accident and the harm you might have sustained. Also, if other people witnessed the incident, ask for their contacts and obtain permission to gather their eyewitness statements of the event. These details could help you reach them in a much-needed time, like during investigations which their statements could be pretty helpful with your case.
Obtain Your Medical Records And Reports
The third step to take is to get your medical reports and records. In most cases, when you go to seek treatment, the physician you meet may document the session in writing. Therefore, ask the professional to give you all copies that may be necessary for your case. This information could be helpful in court proceedings and may play a significant role in maintaining your legal rights.
Report The Accident And Your Injury
Another critical measure to take is to notify the relevant authorities. This could be cruise ship heads on board or the company the vessel belongs to. Once you report the incident, these parties are required by law to launch a probe on the incident.
This step is very crucial because failure to communicate to the said persons of authority could hinder the success of any compensation claim. It’s because the cruise line may argue that you weren’t as injured as you claim you are due to the absence of an official report. Aside from that, they could also state that you probably weren’t hurt at all.
Compile All Necessary Details
In this step, it’s required of you to gather copies of any records the cruise line may have created about your accident. Also, consider reports covering the statements you offered the ship’s authorities and any documentation you may have been requested to affix your signature on.
In this step also, include the evidence you may have gathered earlier in the second step. All these details are to be presented to your attorney, which could be pretty helpful in your case.
Talk To Your Cruise Ship Injury Lawyer
After gathering all the pieces of evidence, relevant reports, and official records, it’s now time to present them to your preferred cruise ship injury attorney. However, ensure that the individual is experienced and an expert in this field. It’s because the cruise line involved in your case is likely to hire the best lawyers who’d help them avoid any legal liability.
Having a good attorney may be very helpful because they can use their expertise to fight for you in court and ensure you get the justice you deserve.
Conclusion
Cruise ship trips can be pretty interesting. However, they could turn south really quickly in case of an accident or injury while onboard the cruise vessel. Therefore, if you experience either of the two, first seek treatment then collect evidence. After that, obtain all of your medical reports and filings from the medical staff and proceed to report the incident to the relevant authorities. Next, compile all necessary details, and lastly, contact an experienced cruise ship injury lawyer to help defend your rights in a possible court challenge.
