Tampa Cruise Ship Accident Lawyer

Were you or a loved one injured on a cruise ship in Tampa, Florida? You may be entitled to compensation for medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering if the accident was someone else’s fault. An experienced Tampa cruise ship accident lawyer at Roman Austin Personal Injury Lawyers can evaluate your case and find out whether the cruise ship was negligent. 

We’ve dedicated our practice to fighting for accident victims’ rights since 1996. The results speak for themselves: our Board Certified civil trial specialists have already recovered more than $100 million for injured clients.

We handle all types of personal injury matters, including Tampa medical malpractice cases, truck accidents, motorcycle accidents, Tampa workplace accidents, bad faith insurance claims, and more.

We’re always ready to take your call. If you’re interested in learning more, call our law offices in Tampa, Florida at (813) 686-7588 to schedule a free consultation with a lawyer who can help.

How Roman Austin Personal Injury Lawyers Can Help After a Cruise Ship Accident in Tampa

Cruise ship companies are some of the largest and most profitable in the world. When you’re hurt on a cruise ship, the cruise ship company can be held liable if their employees were negligent. As you might expect, however, they probably won’t want to accept responsibility and hand over a check.

You’ll have to fight to get the fair amount you need. As soon as the company learns about your injuries, they’ll start investigating. You deserve someone in your corner to do the same for you.

At Roman Austin Personal Injury Lawyers, we’re passionate about making sure big companies treat people like you right. We’ve gone toe-to-toe with some of the biggest insurance companies in the nation–and won big for our clients.

When you hire our Tampa personal injury lawyers to protect your rights, you can expect a lawyer who will:

  • Thoroughly investigate to identify the cause of your accident
  • Gather the evidence needed to back up your injury claim
  • Fight back when the insurance company tries to blame you for getting hurt
  • Hire experts who can properly value your case so you get the full amount you deserve
  • Navigate the complexities of state law, federal law, maritime law, and even the Jones Act that may apply in your case 

The odds are good that this is probably the first time you were hurt on a cruise ship. It’s understandable if you feel overwhelmed and confused. Our personal injury attorneys in Tampa are here to help you understand your legal rights and options.

We’re ready to put over 75 years of experience to work for you. When you’re ready to take action, call our law firm to schedule a free case review.

How Common are Cruise Ship Accidents in Tampa?

How Common are Cruise Ship Accidents in Tampa?

Big cruise lines like Carnival, Norwegian, Princess, and Royal Caribbean don’t want passengers to realize how common accidents are. In recent years, there have been hundreds of major cruise line disasters reported in the United States. 

Of course, those figures don’t account for the thousands of minor cruise ship accidents that happen every year. Nearly every cruise ship has reported some type of accident over the years–many of which are caused by unsafe conditions on the ship itself.

What is My Tampa Cruise Ship Accident Case Worth?

It’s never easy to put a dollar value on physical pain. The value of any personal injury case depends on a few key factors. 

They include:

  • The nature and severity of your injuries
  • Your lost wages
  • Your future lost wages
  • The general pain and suffering you endured
  • Whether the injuries are permanent or life-threatening

Expert witnesses can be crucial to establishing the fair value of your damages claim. At Roman Austin Personal Injury Lawyers, we work with leading experts in the area who can help back up your insurance demand. If you have questions about what your case is worth, reach out for a free consultation today.

What Types of Damages Are Available to Cruise Ship Accident Victims?

Handling your case on your own means taking the risk of recovering less compensation than you deserve. At Roman Austin Personal Injury Lawyers, we’ve handled injury cases like yours before. We’ll fight to obtain the maximum compensation for you. 

That includes compensation for your economic and non-economic losses, including: 

We’ll also fight back if the insurance company tries to blame you for the accident. Under Florida’s modified comparative fault rules, you can recover compensation from any party who shares in the blame–as long as your level of negligence doesn’t exceed 50%.

We’ll Fight to Recover Compensation for All of Your Cruise Ship Accident Injuries

We handle all types of cruise ship accident cases, including those that cause:

Don’t wait to take action if you were hurt on a cruise ship. The cruise ship’s legal team will get to work immediately after an accident. You deserve someone in your corner who will fight back. Call Roman Austin Personal Injury Lawyers today to start protecting your legal rights.

What Causes Most Cruise Ship Accidents in Tampa, Florida?

What Causes Most Cruise Ship Accidents in Tampa, Florida?

One of the most common causes of cruise ship accidents involves slip and fall accidents. A cruise ship is essentially one big floating city. Any number of things can cause you to trip and fall if the ship isn’t properly maintained in accordance with Florida premises liability laws. 

Some common causes of falls on a ship include:

  • Missing handrails or guardrails
  • Broken or damaged stairs or walkways
  • Inadequate lighting
  • Worn treads on slick surfaces
  • Uneven ground surfaces
  • Debris and other obstacles in walkways
  • Lack of adequate warning signs

Of course, there are many ways to get hurt on a cruise ship. At Roman Austin Personal Injury Lawyers, we can help regardless of how you were hurt. 

We often handle cruise ship injury cases involving:

  • Fires
  • Negligent security
  • Violence and sexual assault
  • Falling overboard
  • Running aground
  • Food poisoning
  • Collisions with other vessels
  • Collisions with fixed objects
  • Swimming pool accidents
  • Accidents caused by poorly maintained amusement facilities
  • Unsafe work conditions for crew members

Regardless of how you were injured, your expenses can add up quickly. You deserve fair compensation if someone else was to blame. 

How Do I Prove Negligence After a Cruise Ship Accident in Florida? 

When you board a cruise ship, you accept the terms and conditions of the cruise ship contract. Most of these contracts will contain a provision that limits the cruise line’s liability if you get hurt. However, those waivers usually don’t apply if you were hurt because the cruise line or ship employees were negligent.

How you prove liability depends on how, exactly, you were injured.

Slip and Fall Accidents: The Property Owner’s Duty of Care

Property owners are required to maintain their property in a reasonably safe condition for invited guests. A cruise ship is considered property – just like any piece of land or building. Further, the company has a heightened duty to guests, who are classified as business invitees for legal purposes. 

In other words, the cruise ship company has a duty to:

  • Maintain the property in reasonably safe condition
  • Provide adequate warning of any dangerous conditions if the hazard can’t be fixed right away
  • Inspect the property to uncover any hidden dangers

If the cruise ship or its employees fail to satisfy these duties, they can be held financially responsible if you hurt yourself because of unsafe conditions on the boat.

General Negligence

The cruise ship is responsible for keeping guests reasonably safe. That includes a duty to operate the boat safely and offer safe conditions. 

From a legal perspective, accident victims have to prove four basic elements to recover compensation:

  • A duty of care existed
  • The at-fault party breached the standard of care by failing to exercise reasonable caution
  • That breach caused your accident
  • You suffered damages as a result

It’s not always easy to get the proof you need to support your personal injury claim. Our Tampa cruise ship accident attorneys at Roman Austin Personal Injury Lawyers have been handling cases like yours for decades. We’ll put in the hard work necessary to find out what caused your accident–and fight to get the fair compensation you deserve.

How Long Do I Have to File a Lawsuit After a Cruise Ship Accident in Florida?

How Long Do I Have to File a Lawsuit After a Cruise Ship Accident in Florida?

Every state limits the amount of time you have to sue for damages. The statute of limitations in Florida personal injury cases is two years. That means if you don’t file a personal injury lawsuit within two years of the accident, you lose your right to compensation.

Note that Florida’s personal injury laws used to give victims four years from the date of the accident to file a lawsuit. However, the law was revised on March 24, 2023, resulting in less time to act. Thus, if your Tampa cruise ship accident occurred after that date, you need to file your lawsuit within two years of the incident.

If the cruise ship was negligent, there might be additional time limits that apply. The cruise ship’s own contract might specify the amount of time you have to notify the company of your injuries. Usually, you have to take action much more quickly. 

For example, you’re required to notify the cruise line within as little as 185 days if you were hurt on a Carnival cruise. You’ll also have to file your personal injury lawsuit within one year of the injury.

Contact a Tampa Cruise Ship Accident Lawyer for a Free Consultation

Cruise ship accidents are more common than you might think. If you were hurt and have questions about your legal rights, please contact Roman Austin Personal Injury Lawyers for legal advice today. An experienced Tampa cruise ship accident lawyer can make all the difference in getting the fair compensation you need. As always, your initial consultation is 100% free of charge.

Our personal injury law firm in Tampa also provides: