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Spring Break Cruise – Steps if You’re Injured

Cruise Ship injuryGetting the care you need at home following an injury can be a difficult process. If you’re hurt while on a spring break cruise, you may have an even harder time understanding your health insurance coverage and getting the treatment that you need. If you’re planning on spending some time at sea this spring, make sure you follow these steps if you’re injured.

Report the Accident

From slips and falls to more serious events such as assaults, injuries do occur on cruise liners. No matter the severity or type of injury, your first step should be to report the accident to the cruise line as soon as possible. Before you leave the port on your trip, check the company’s policy for reporting and responding to an accident. Do your best to follow these requirements. Finally, take notes about what happened and keep all documents and information related to the injury, such as medical reports.

Document the Accident

As with any type of injury, you should document the event thoroughly as soon as it’s safe to do so. Take photos if possible, collect witness contact info, and record what led to and caused an accident. You should also note the company’s response and any treatment that you received. Your documentation may be used to help prove that the cruise line acted negligently and contributed to your injury.

Seek Medical Attention

No matter the severity of an injury, you should seek medical attention to help you document the accident and subsequent damages. Your initiative will also prevent the company from claiming that since you didn’t see a doctor, you must not have been seriously injured.

Seeing a doctor and scheduling a follow-up appointment is also important because some injuries and conditions may not present right away. Moreover, you may not immediately realize that some symptoms, such as sensitivity to light or memory and concentration problems, are related to the injury you sustained. A doctor can record these conditions officially, give you the care that you need, and provide valuable evidence that you may need to receive fair compensation for your injury.

Consult With an Attorney to Determine Your Rights Following a Cruise Injury

Whether you’re entitled to compensation for an injury is governed by maritime law — not the cruise liner’s waivers for inherently risky activities, such as rock climbing, or even guest waivers you sign just to get on board. The company may try to avoid legal consequences by pointing to the fact that you signed a waiver.

However, maritime law prohibits cruise liners from using these documents to defend against accidents that resulted from the company’s negligence. There are other ways that interpreting maritime laws may affect your claim, so it’s important to consult with an attorney who has experience in this area.

If you’re injured on a spring break cruise, reach out to an attorney for a free consultation. Even if you signed a guest injury statement or a waiver to participate in an activity in which you were injured, a qualified attorney can help determine whether negligence was involved. This specialist can also navigate the maritime laws relevant to your claim to ensure that the responsible party is held accountable.