Many people do not realize this but cruise lines are one of the most profitable businesses in the United States. Statistically speaking, more than 13 million Americans take cruises every year. At the same time, cruise lines are one of the most unregulated businesses in our country, which means there’s always a risk of taking a cruise operated negligently.
Negligent operators of cruise ships can be held liable for any injuries to their passengers under federal and state maritime law. Under Pennsylvania law, cruise lines have a legal duty to provide a safe environment for their passengers and eliminate any hazards that the company knew or should have known about.
Our Philadelphia cruise ship accident attorney at Dan Doyle Law Group says that accidents aboard cruise ships can be caused by many factors, but the most common ones are:
If you can prove that your injury in a cruise ship accident was caused by negligence on the part of the cruise ship owner or operator, you may be entitled to pursue a personal injury claim to seek reimbursement for your losses and damages.
Unfortunately, suing a cruise ship owner or operator is not always easy. Remember how we said that cruise lines are one of the most profitable businesses in the U.S.? It’s no wonder that a hefty chunk of these profits goes to retaining some of the best defense lawyers in Pennsylvania.
“Unsurprisingly, these lawyers representing cruise lines make it incredibly difficult to sue a cruise line for your injury aboard its cruise ship, not to mention that the cruise ship industry restricts when, where, and how passengers can file personal injury claims,” says our experienced cruise ship accident attorney in Philadelphia.
Some of the restrictions may be written in the fine print of the ticket that you purchased to become the cruise ship passenger. Typically, passengers are required to provide notice of their claim to the cruise line within 180 days after their cruise ship accident. After the notice was filed, an injured cruise passenger has one year after the accident to file a personal injury claim.
There are also restrictions on the venue where the injured passenger is allowed to bring a personal injury lawsuit against a cruise line. Typically, the location is mentioned in the passenger ticket contract. As you can see, the process of recovering damages for your injury in a cruise ship accident can be quite confusing, which is why it is advised to seek legal advice from a skilled personal injury attorney.
Here at Dan Doyle Law Group, our cruise ship accident attorneys in Philadelphia will investigate your claim to determine negligence and the value of your claim as well as help you protect your rights when suing a negligent cruise line in Pennsylvania. Schedule a free consultation by calling our law firm at 215-987-3730.