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The last thing you are expected to think of when planning your vacation is the potential cruise ship accidents that can occur while you are on board. While we hope that your tropical getaway is as pleasant and relaxing as you intended, if you happened to be involved in an accident, you need to speak to a maritime attorney. Here at Irwin Law Firm in Fort Lauderdale, we have worked on a number of accident cases that have happened on board a cruise ship. Because these accidents may occur while you are at sea, or on the front of another country, Maritime Law may be at play. Cruise ships also typically register under a foreign country and flies that corresponding flag. This means that that foreign country is held liable for any crimes or accidents that happen on board the cruise ships. Any legal obligations or standards are handed to that country, and therefore, those accidents may not be administered at the degree of a normal United States court.

 

Take a look at these top accidents that cruise passengers should be aware of:

Medical Malpractice of Cruise Ship Doctor

 

A cruise ship doctor will be under the protection of the cruise line and their registered country. Medical malpractice is a serious issue that should result in penalizing actions, especially in cases that leave a patient with long-lasting repercussions. Knowing how to pursue legal action towards a cruise ship doctor for medical malpractice is vital in getting your case heard. Your maritime attorney will know the specific obligations of both the cruise ship and the doctor and can guide you to the correct approach for this type of accident.

 

Slip and Fall Cruise Ship Accidents

This is perhaps the most coming cruise ship occurrence. Since you are on a tropical getaway, it seems that obligatory that you will encounter plenty of wet surface areas. These areas need to be handled with care by both the cruise line staff and the guests. These areas are prone to slip and fall accidents that can result in serious injury or even death in some circumstances. It is the cruise line’s duty to impose any wet floor signs as soon as possible, and guests are obligated to follow the guidelines of these signs, as they would here in the U.S. Still, these accidents do occur and the cruise line may be protected by their registered foreign country.

 

Sexual Assault and Sex Crimes

 

Passengers aboard cruise ships are expecting to relax and have fun. However, there are a number of strangers on board your temporary home, and it is impossible to know what their intentions are. Cruise lines have been the home to sexual assault victims of all ages, some even being as young as ten years old. This sort of crime is particularly difficult to deal with considering other countries do not hold sexual assault crimes to the highest degree of prosecution like we do here in America. It is important that you seek an attorney to obtain your due justice against these criminals, despite the location of this crime.

 

Some other examples of accidents or crimes committed on board a cruise ship include theft, assault with a deadly weapon, wrongful death, and shore excursion accidents. If you have been involved with any of these cruise ship accidents, speak with a maritime attorney at Irwin Law Firm’s office in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.