Filing a Lawsuit After Sustaining a Burn Injury on a Cruise
Many people choose to ride on a cruise ship for a relaxing and enjoyable vacation. Unfortunately, there have been times where passengers have been burnt while they were on the cruise. Sometimes these burns occur because the passengers were in an area where they did not belong or because the passengers were not paying attention to what was going on around them. When those situations occur, the passengers cannot file a lawsuit to seek damages. However, if the burn occurs because the operator of the cruise ship was negligent in some way, the operator may be considered liable for those burn injuries. The victim would need to have a talk with an attorney.
Negligence That Can Occur When Riding on a Cruise
The operator of the cruise ship does owe a duty of care to all passengers. The passengers have every right to feel safe while riding on the ship for several days or even weeks at a time. Due to the duty of care, any cruise ship operator must follow rules and protocol. If rules are broken and protocol is not followed, passengers could sustain injuries. When that happens, the operator may have a lawsuit filed against him or her for breaching the duty of care in the first place. A victim would need to have enough evidence to support claims of negligence. A negligent cruise ship operator may have operated the cruise while under the influence or may have been distracted by something else that was going on, which could have caused a passenger to sustain a serious burn injury.
What Happens When Not Enough Proof is Available?
Victims of burn injuries that occur on a cruise ship may wonder what happens when there is not enough evidence to support negligence claims. When a cruise ship operator does follow the rules and takes the necessary steps to ensure that all passengers are as safe and comfortable as possible, a passenger can still end up with a burn injury if they are not careful enough. In situations like that, the operator did nothing wrong because that operator still provided the duty of care that is owed to the passengers. Unfortunately, that means that it may be impossible for the individual with the burn injury to file a lawsuit to recover compensation for damages.
How to Prove Negligence After Sustaining a Burn Injury on a Cruise
Knowing how to prove negligence after sustaining a burn injury is important for anyone who gets injured while on the cruise ship. An attorney would need to talk to the victim to go over all the details. The attorney wants to make sure that the victim was not acting carelessly to cause his or her own burn injury. Aside from making sure that the victim was not acting carelessly, the lawyer may want to look at surveillance footage from the cruise ship while collecting statements from other passengers on the cruise that managed to see the accident when it first happened. These statements can support the claims of negligence against the operator of the cruise ship.
Victims should always consult with an attorney beforehand to receive legal counsel. An attorney can work on getting more information relating to the accident and the injuries sustained, including the severity of the burns and how those burns occurred. The attorney would then let the individual know if they should file a claim against the operator.
Contact a Fort Lauderdale Personal Injury Lawyer to Discuss Your Burn Injury Case in Florida
Did you or a loved one sustain serious injuries due to burn injuries in Florida? Don’t let the medical bills pile up while you wait for the negligent party or their insurance company to do the right thing. Right now, you need an aggressive personal injury attorney on your side, fighting to get you the compensation you need, want, and deserve. The skilled attorneys at Lawlor White & Murphey represent clients injured because of burns in Cooper City, Hollywood, Parkland, Sunrise, and throughout Florida. Call 954-525-2345 or fill out our online contact form to schedule a free consultation about your case. We have an office conveniently located at 2211 Davie Boulevard in Fort Lauderdale, FL 33312 as well as offices in Pembroke Pines, Weston, Coconut Creek, Pompano Beach, and Plantation.
The articles on this blog are for informative purposes only and are no substitute for legal advice or an attorney-client relationship. If you are seeking legal advice, please contact our law firm directly.