Port of Seattle Cruise Ship Lawyers
The Port of Seattle is part of the city’s waterfront where boats, including cruise ships, can come to dock. This area of Seattle helps move people and cargo worldwide and is an essential center for commerce and tourism in the city. Thousands of tourists come to Seattle on cruise ships every year. The crew aboard those ships is responsible for keeping their patrons safe. If you or a loved one were injured aboard a cruise ship or on an excursion through the Port of Seattle, you could be eligible for compensation.
For more information on lawsuits regarding Port of Seattle cruise ship accidents, contact Louis A. Vucci P.A. at (786) 375-0344 or use the live chat feature on our website. Your initial consultation is free and can be anonymous if you prefer, so don’t hesitate to ask if your cruise ship personal injury case could result in compensation.
Cruise Lines That Serve the Port of Seattle
Many different cruise lines enter and depart from the Port of Seattle as part of their voyages. The city of Seattle has two cruise ship terminals: Smith Cove and Bell Street Pier. Norwegian Cruise Line and Oceania Cruises utilize Bell Street Pier. At the same time, Smith Cove is the entry and departure point for:
- Celebrity Cruises
- Carnival Cruise Line
- Royal Caribbean International
- Princess Cruises
- Holland America Line
Destinations Cruise Lines Sail from Port of Seattle
After leaving the Port of Seattle, cruise lines could be destined for anywhere in the world. Typical destinations for cruises departing from this particular port include Juneau, Sitka, Victoria, Skagway, Ketchikan, and other cities and ports in Canada and Alaska.
Accidents on Cruise Ships That Sail from the Port of Seattle
Many types of accidents can occur on cruise ships. Whether they occur because of staff negligence, equipment malfunctions, lack of instructions, or some other error, you may be eligible for monetary compensation for your injuries. The types of injuries that can occur on a cruise ship or due to the negligence of a cruise line include:
Slip and fall
Slip and fall injuries can happen for several reasons, many of which are further elaborated below. For a cruise to be held negligent for a slip and fall injury, there must have been some way for them to prevent it from happening. Injuries can often be prevented by having a staff member clean up a foreign substance from the deck, properly marking trip and fall hazards, or ensuring that the boat is constructed safely from the beginning.
Slipping on the deck
Slipping on the deck of a cruise ship often happens because of a failure to mop up water or some other substance. Deck slips can also occur because of a lack of proper warnings of unusual conditions and failure to replace old, worn-out floorboards and stairs, among other reasons.
Tripping over a threshold
Guidelines for cruise ship designs sometimes require doors to have thresholds to ensure they are watertight. However, they must also adequately mark these thresholds, as many people aren’t accustomed to stepping over an obstacle every time they walk through a door. If you are injured because you tripped over a threshold aboard a cruise ship, look around to see if it is appropriately marked to warn people of the hazard. If there is no sign to mark the threshold, you may be able to argue that the cruise line was negligent.
Staircase falls
If you were injured while tripping down the stairs of a cruise ship, don’t immediately assume that the accident was your fault. It could also have been because of a foreign substance on the stairs or a design flaw in the boat itself, which could qualify you for personal injury compensation. For example, if stairs are of varying heights or do not have a properly constructed handrail, you could accuse the cruise of being at fault for your injury.
Excursion injuries
Depending on the situation, injuries that occur during shore excursions can also happen because of a cruise line’s negligence. Some examples of excursion injuries include tender boat accidents (the smaller boats that help patrons get to shore if the cruise ship is too large to dock), car accidents, dock accidents, and machinery malfunctions.
Lack of security
If the cruise ship does not provide adequate security for keeping their passengers safe, they can be held liable for any injuries resulting from security breaches.
Injuries Cruise Ship Passengers Could Suffer
Cruises have become an increasingly popular vacation option for people who want to see many parts of the world relatively quickly. The cruise experience is known to be highly enjoyable, and people are entertained continuously while traveling between destinations. However, since cruise lines are very focused on the enjoyment and entertainment of their passengers, safety can sometimes be overlooked. Injuries cruise ship passengers can suffer include, but are not limited to:
- Traumatic brain injury
- Concussions
- Spine injuries
- Neck injuries
- Paralysis
- Broken bones
If you’ve suffered from these or any other injury aboard a cruise ship, speak to an attorney about filing a personal injury case.
Who is liable for injuries to cruise ship passengers?
The cruise line and its staff are responsible for any preventable injuries that occur on the ship or possibly on an excursion. If your injury happened because of the negligence of a crew member, you deserve to have your medical costs covered, and the negligent party deserves to pay for their mistake. Holding a major cruise line accountable for their mistakes ensures better training of staff and crew that will help future cruise patrons have a safer and more enjoyable trip.
How to Get Compensation for a Cruise Ship Injury
If you would like to seek compensation for an injury that occurred on a cruise ship, you will have to take legal action to prove that negligence was the cause of the incident. You must make the case that someone or the cruise line is at fault for your injury. Often, cruise lines make their customers sign paperwork that may seem to absolve the company of any wrongdoing should a passenger injure themselves, especially on excursions. An experienced personal injury lawyer will know how to examine these documents for flaws that allow the company to be liable for their negligence.
How a Lawyer Could Help
If you were injured aboard a cruise ship and want to pursue compensation, you should have the best, most experienced attorneys to prove your case’s validity. Cruise lines are large, well-funded businesses that know that their experience comes with risks, so they will have very skilled attorneys who will search for any angle to prove that the cruise was not responsible for your injury.
If you want to be compensated for your injury, having an experienced lawyer of your own dramatically increases your chances of being awarded the full amount you deserve. Additionally, if you signed any paperwork or contract that the cruise insists makes you responsible for your own safety, someone with legal expertise can help you interpret the jargon. If you want to ensure you are awarded your compensation in full, it is in your best interest to retain legal counsel.
How Louis A. Vucci P.A. Can Help You
When pursuing a personal injury case against a large company such as a cruise line, you want an attorney with years of experience with this specific type of law. Louis Vucci has been practicing law and representing those who need help since he graduated from law school in 1997. He is a member of the Bar Association in several states.
Attorney Louis Vucci has had many successes regarding personal injury incidents aboard cruise ships. These include helping a passenger with a broken ankle settle for $100,000 and a passenger with a traumatic brain injury settle for over $400,000. He is passionate about helping people through some of the most challenging times. That’s why is why his firm works on a contingency basis. This means Louis A. Vucci P.A. will not get paid unless clients win their cases and are awarded compensation for their injuries.
Contact Us
Call us if you were injured aboard a cruise ship or on an excursion and believe the cruise crew was negligent and responsible for your injury. You may be eligible for compensation for your medical bills, pain and suffering, and more. For a free consultation with Louis A. Vucci P.A., contact us at (786) 375-0344 or use the live chat feature on our website.
