What Every Passenger Should Know About Cruise Line Accident Lawsuits

One of the first casualties of any economic downturn is travel

, since people tend to take fewer trips when they are less confident about the future. This was true of every major travel industry during the Great Recession, save one. The slowdown seemed to have little or no effect on the cruise industry, which posted yet another year of positive growth in 2010. That makes 20 in a row for a form of travel that was once considered the preserve of the rich. What happened?

When new travel destinations started opening up in the Caribbean during the 1960s, cruise lines started building bigger and bigger ships. Instead of marketing their vacation package only to the wealthy, they finally had enough room to offer more economical accommodations. Because of its close proximity to many of the islands in the Caribbean, Florida soon became the capital of the cruise world. Of the 15 million passengers who take a cruise each year in North America, about half of them depart from a port in the Sunshine State.

The cruise ships of today are enormous. Often referred to as floating resorts, the larger ones can accommodate as many as 6,000 guests. They are an odd admixture of shopping mall and full-service hotel resort. Some of them even have casinos! Because they are so large and they can carry so many guests, they are able to keep the costs relatively low, which is why millions of middle-class couples and families love them. The only problem is that they can get quite crowded.

With thousands of active guests trying to experience everything these enormous ships have to offer, on board accidents and injuries are quite common. These include slip/trip and falls, diving accidents, health issues, seasickness, and accidents on ship or docks. Many passengers are also injured during embarkation and disembarkation, since there are hundreds of steps to climb or descend and thousands of other passengers.

When should you file a cruise line accident lawsuit?

If you were hurt on a cruise, it is always a good idea to consult an attorney to see if you are entitled to compensation for your injuries. It doesnt matter if the injury was an honest to goodness accident or was the result of negligence on the part of the ships staff and/or crew. Only a qualified cruise ship accident lawyer can determine whether you should file a cruise accident lawsuit. It is important to act as soon as possible. Why?

Few cruise ship passengers are aware of the fact that most of the major cruise lines insert special provisions into their contracts that protect them from a cruise accident lawsuit after a certain period of time (often one year) has elapsed. That is a relatively short timeframe when we consider the fact that car accident victims have up to four years to file suit! Because most cruise lines are based in Florida, it may also be necessary to file your cruise accident lawsuit in the Sunshine State, even if you dont live there!

by: Joseph Maus

POST COMMENT

Egypt Nile Cruise & Jordan Tours Australian Cruises: Enjoying Seas With An Attitude Choose Your Cruise On River Brahmaputra.... The Muse On A Cruise From Tampa Finding The Best Cruises From Galveston To The Bahamas Enjoy Bali Cruises In The Spectacular Waters Of Bali Enjoy A Safe Voyage With Halong Bay Cruises Top Halong Cruises To Sample Booking Your Cruise Through Gulet Best Highlights Of A Cancun Dinner Cruise Choose Better Cruise For Vacation During Coming Monsoon K2 Goodness: Things Forgotten About, What To Have On A Snorkeling Cruise Visit Croatia: Charter A Private Yacht With Gulet Cruises