Attorney for MSC Cruise Injuries
Cruise pool decks and restaurants are common spots for slip and falls, and falls overboard or onto lower decks happen from balconies. Assaults might happen in stairwells and other secluded areas. Regardless of where on the cruise you are injured, focus on reporting the accident and getting medical care.
We can use incident reports and records from onboard medical staff in your lawsuit. We can also demand MSC Cruises preserve relevant video footage of an assault, fall, or other incident. When we file a lawsuit against MSC Cruises, we can get compensation for medical expenses, missed income, and pain and suffering. We help victims document damages and get them from settlements or trials.
Call Rivkind Margulies & Rivkind’s attorneys for MSC Cruise injuries at (305) 204-5369 for a free case assessment.
Top Places for Injuries on MSC Cruise Ships
Though some areas on cruises see accidents more often, ships are dangerous places in general. While accidental injuries happen, so do intentional assaults, and we can help you get compensation after either incident.
Pool Decks
Slip and falls on wet pool decks are a top cause of injury on cruises. Badly maintained decks with divots or cracks are tripping hazards, too.
Pools themselves are the top locations for injuries. Drowning accidents due to a lack of lifeguards at the pool might be fatal.
Restaurants
Falls happen in restaurants when staff does not clean up spilled food or drinks. Hazards like dim lighting and loose carpets also cause trip and falls in cruise restaurants.
Food-borne illnesses from bad kitchen safety practices or allergic reactions after explicitly stating allergens also happen.
Stairwells
Passengers might fall down stairwells because of poor lighting or loose railings. Stairwells are also top locations for physical and sexual assaults on cruises. Suppose MSC Cruises has security cameras in the stairwell where the accident happened. In that case, we can demand it preserve that footage for your lawsuit.
Balconies
Cruise passengers might fall off balconies after being overserved alcohol. Falls also occur when balconies are not secure. Falls overboard or can be fatal. When victims survive, they might have anoxic brain injuries that affect brain function, altering victims’ quality of life. Falls onto lower decks are just as dangerous, with victims suffering traumatic brain and spinal cord injuries.
Gangways
Gangways connect cruises to the land, giving passengers a way to enter and exit ships. Letting too many passengers into gangways might make them collapse, as might poor construction or design. Hazards on gangways or overcrowding might cause trip and falls, too.
Documentation of MSC Cruise Accidents We Can Use
Our lawyers can contact MSC Cruises to get incident reports and other accident documentation. We will combine this with other evidence, like eyewitness statements and your medical records after returning home.
Incident Reports
First, our attorneys for MSC Cruise injuries can get reports from the ship’s security team. Passengers may report accidental injuries or intentional assaults, and the security or safety team can document them.
Security Footage
We will also review footage from the cruise ship’s security cameras. Footage might show negligent security letting the non-passenger who assaulted you get on board. It might also show a guardrail giving away and letting a passenger fall overboard or onto a lower deck.
Medical Records
Then, we can get records from the ship’s medical staff. Go there for immediate assessment after an accident. If your injuries are beyond their capability, you might get medically evacuated to a foreign hospital. If that happens, we will get records from any foreign providers.
Eyewitness Statements
Other passengers may witness accidents on pool decks, in restaurants, and other cruise areas. Ask for their names and phone numbers if you can. We can track down eyewitnesses and record their statements.
Is MSC Cruises Liable for Crew Member Negligence?
The legal doctrine of respondeat superior applies to cruise ships and their employees, making them liable for acts while working.
Suppose a crew member gives visibly intoxicated passengers more alcohol, and they trip and suffer a head injury. The injured passenger can sue the cruise ship, even though the crew member’s negligence caused the accident.
Cruises also bear liability for crew members’ intentional acts, like physical or sexual assaults of passengers.
Holding MSC Cruises liable for accidents crew members cause favors victims. Evidence of the cruise ship company’s gross negligence or willful misconduct could open the door to punitive damages. Keeping a crew member on staff who has assaulted passengers previously endangers future passengers. Juries and judges award punitive damages to punish and make examples out of cruise ship companies that show gross negligence.
Compensation for Injuries on MSC Cruise Ships
Your injuries may warrant substantial compensation. We can monitor and calculate damages in your case before filing so you know your lawsuit’s value.
Economic Damages
Economic damages include medical bills, lost wages, and miscellaneous out-of-pocket expenses. The cost of your early return from the cruise should be compensated, as should any doctor visits or treatments once you get home.
Some injuries make victims incur child care, transportation, in-house medical assistance, and home modification costs. Suffering permanent spinal cord damage from falls onto lower decks may mean modifying your home to accommodate a wheelchair or other mobility aid.
Non-Economic Damages
Non-economic damages are the intangible harms you suffer. Most injuries cause physical pain, which is compensable. As is mental anguish, emotional distress, disfigurement, and loss of enjoyment of life. Survivors whose loved ones die in cruise ship accidents can also get non-economic damages for loss of companionship and grief.
Non-economic damages are subjective, so having victims speak first-hand about their pain and suffering helps. We can also have mental health experts evaluate you and report their findings in court.
Call Our Lawyers for Cruise Ship Injuries Today
Call the attorneys for MSC Cruise injuries of Rivkind Margulies & Rivkind at (305) 204-5369 for help with your case.
