New York Cruise Ship Accidents Lawyer

You don’t HAVE to have one. But the cruise line’s insurance company has an army of attorneys, claims specialists, and experts to defeat your claim or case. So, in order to win your rightful compensation, an attorney who specializes in maritime law can be a favorable game-changer.

The statute of limitations (or time in which a claim must be brought from the date of the accident) can’t be determined until confirmation of the venue (the state or country where the claim must be brought). This is determined by the travel contract and/or accident location. The time to bring a claim can be as short as a few weeks after your injury. So consult an attorney immediately.

Not with our attorneys. We work on a contingency basis. This means if we don’t win your claim or case, we don’t get paid.

Would you trust a mechanic who tells you how much it would cost to fix your car, sight unseen? Of course not. If any attorney tells you they know how much your claim is worth before reviewing all documentation and the circumstances surrounding your case, the lawyer is either incompetent or being untruthful with you.

Every case is different. Your legal team must utilize the most advanced technology and aggressive legal strategy to expedite your case. The more experienced your legal team, the faster it can be resolved in your favor, hopefully within a few months.

We have handled every possible cruise line accident claim. They can happen anywhere on board ship: gangways, getting on or off tenders, and during off-ship excursions. The causes can center on outright negligence of the crew, slips and falls, failure of the boat and/or equipment, insufficient safety devices, spoiled or improperly prepared food, viruses, criminal activity of the crew and failure to warn of any of the above (or more) safety threats.

Generally, yes — certainly while you’re aboard ship. When you disembark at ports of call, many lines will have sanctioned tours and other functions provided by local companies. The cruise line can be liable for passenger safety under certain conditions; and they certainly have a duty to warn you if they are not. And though their exposure is even less if you decide to “go off the beaten path” while you are onshore, it is still their duty to closely communicate with law enforcement and warn you of anything the authorities tell them which impacts your safety while onshore.

Generally the same rules of security apply to this question as well. The cruise line is liable for all events while you’re aboard ship; additionally, they are responsible for the actions and behavior of their contracted vendors onshore through “respondeat superior” (which is Latin for “Let the superior answer”). And as to when you, as an onshore visitor, go “off the reservation,” the cruise line has a reasonable duty to communicate with onshore authorities and advise you of food problems (such as restaurants) they are aware of.

Your medical bills are submitted to the insurance company for the cruise ship. If they exceed the cruise ship’s coverage, your private health insurance might pay the difference and then likely take the matter up with the shipping line. If you do not have health insurance – or your insurer refuses to pay – your medical bills are submitted as a “special damages” item as part of your claim against the cruise ship.

Like any personal injury claim, you must prove duty of care and liability on the part of the cruise ship line, that they breached that duty, and that their negligent acts caused the injury.

ALWAYS! Pictures are often the most compelling evidence in proving your case. Accident scenes can change within hours after the mishap. And try getting in contact with all witnesses on a cruise ship after it returns home and they all scatter to the wind. So if you have photographs, be careful to safeguard them; record all witness interviews with your smartphone.

Yes. A prior incident – or other cruise ship passengers who suffered injury on your voyage – can help prove that the owner knew of the dangerous condition(s) and that there was a pattern of negligence by the cruise line.

Yes. An incident report given to legal authorities is proof that the accident happened. However, it is NOT a good idea to give any statements directly to the insurance company before speaking with an experienced injury attorney.