subject: Leisure Time Legal Problems Require An Attorney [print this page] Planning a summer break? Maybe you're thinking that the worst thing that can happen to you is that you'll run out of sunscreen when there's no store around to replenish your supply. But the truth is accidents happen even when you're on holiday, and the prudent vacationer is one who's aware of the risks and knows how to contact a local criminal attorney with expertise in the field of vacation accidents.
Eleven million Americans booked cruise ship holidays in 2008, spending upward of 20 billion dollars. On paper, a cruise ship passage may seem like the perfect vacation, everything is taken care of for you, all you have to do is feel cosseted and enjoy. The truth is that cruise ships can be uncomfortable, even dangerous places, and when they are, the tangle of ownership, liability, and jurisdiction can make it very, very difficult to get redress. Bed bugs frequently infest mattresses. Electrical fires break out in engine causing power outages hampering the ship's ability to respond to dangers at sea. Unsanitary kitchen and bathroom conditions foster outbreaks of norovirus and other diseases.
Even worse, you may find yourself the victim of criminal activity. Statistics concerning the number of sexual assaults on cruise ships are difficult to come by. The multimillion dollar companies that run the industry would much rather cover them up. Yet anecdotal evidence suggests that rape is not an uncommon incident aboard these ships. Then there are other crimes from robbery to fraud that you may find yourself the victim of.
Did you read the fine print on the back of your ticket? In most cases it provides for a one-year statute of limitations on personal injury claims against the cruise line. If something like this happens to your or your loved ones, it is imperative to contact a criminal lawyer specializing in vacation law as soon as possible.
Other vacation mishaps happen all the time as well. You may be boating on a lake when another boat operator who's had one too many comes cruising your way and capsizes your vessel. You may have been riding a rollercoaster at your favorite theme park where one of the kids hired to operate the ride was too busy texting to throw on the brakes in time. You may have enjoyed a couple of glasses of wine with your lunch, and gotten behind the wheel of your rented car. This is something you would never allow yourself to do at home, and been pulled over by the police.
You are a stranger in a strange land here. You need someone who works in your vacation area to look after your own best legal interests, a local criminal attorney or a DUI lawyer, someone who knows the area where you're on holiday and is well versed in fields like boating and marine safety, and personal injury liability. A criminal lawyer or DUI attorney working remotely will never be able to keep up with it all. If you're on vacation and the worst case scenario takes place, whom should you call? A local lawyer who will serve as your advocate, assisting you in evaluating options that an out-of-town attorney doesn't even know you have.
