Fort Myers Cruise Ship Accident Lawyer
Cruises are a favorite type of vacation experience for many Floridians, and travelers to Florida often come to the state in order to take a cruise. Large cruise ships carry passengers from various ports in Florida to destinations in the Caribbean and elsewhere, and smaller ships, including catamarans, take passengers from Fort Myers to locations like Key West. While cruises can be fun and exciting, they can also pose a range of injury risks to passengers and cruise ship workers alike. If you are injured on a cruise ship, it is essential to know that the law is complex. Indeed, you need help from an attorney with experience handling cruise ship and maritime claims. Contact our experienced Fort Myers cruise ship accident lawyer today to discuss your case.
Learning More About Cruise Ship Accidents
Destinations in the Caribbeans, and to the Bahamas and Bermuda in particular, are among the most popular cruise destinations. According to data from the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), before the pandemic, nearly 12,000 people cruised to the Caribbean from ports in Florida each year. In total, nearly 30 million people cruised in 2019, and while that number declined sharply during the pandemic, the cruise ship industry is largely back up to pre-pandemic trends. More visitors to Fort Myers are also taking cruises nearby and traveling on day cruise ships in the Gulf of Mexico.
As cruise ship numbers and passengers rise, there will also be a greater risk of injury on cruise ships. Since 2005, data suggests that there have been more than 400 serious cruise ship accidents that involve major accidents such as running aground, colliding with another ship or object, or catching on fire. Many more accidents on board, including those that have resulted in serious injury or death to a small number of passengers, have occurred during that same period. Since there is no government entity responsible for specifically tracking cruise ship accidents (in the same manner as plane crashes or train derailments, for example), the precise number of injuries is not gathered in a single database.
Types of Cruise Ship Accidents in Fort Myers
Common types of cruise ship accidents include but are not limited to:
- Slips and falls;
- Falls overboard;
- Food poisoning;
- Swimming pool accidents and drownings;
- Fire injuries;
- Assault onboard the cruise ship;
- Recreational activity injuries;
- Escalator accidents; and
- Elevator accidents.
Contact Frank D. Butler Today
Were you injured on a cruise ship? You may be able to file a claim, but you will only have a short amount of time to do so. Most cruise ship accident claims require the injured person to file a notice of claim within 180 days, and a lawsuit must be filed within one year from the date of the cruise ship accident. You should not delay in getting in touch with an attorney who can help you to move forward with a cruise ship accident case. Contact our experienced Fort Myers cruise ship accident lawyer today for more information about filing a claim.
