Cruise Ship Accidents

Costa Cruises has announced that it is adopting new safety rules for its fleet — this, in the wake of the deadly Costa Concordia cruise ship disaster in January that left the vessel capsized off the coast of Italy and claimed the lives of 32 people.

Under the new rules, guests will receive emergency training before the ship leaves port and officers in uniform must be in attendance during that training to answer any of the passenger’s questions or concerns. Guests will be issued electronic cards that will track whether they have attended the safety drills.

Also, the new rules allow officers to be more hands-on during an emergency. While maintaining the power to intervene, the Captain will no longer be the only person who can issue orders in an emergency situation. Passengers aboard the doomed Costa Concordia had complained that confusion among the officers, as well as an absentee captain, led to deadly mistakes during the evacuation of the ship.

Among other policy changes, Costa will also be implementing a real-time route monitoring system, which will allow the company to monitor and control the course of all of its ships when they are out at sea.

More Costa Concordia News

Costa Cruises has paid more than 2 million euros ($2.6 million USD) to French survivors of the Costa Concordia shipwreck. The agreement was reached with 235 of the 456 French citizens who were onboard. The lawyer representing the 235 survivors said that the settlement does not preclude any further legal action.

While it is good that these safety measures are being implemented now, it’s tragic that lessons learned came too late for those who were injured or died aboard the Costa Concordia. The experienced cruise ship accident attorneys at Farah & Farah know what it takes to fight for your rights if you have been injured on a cruise ship. Call (800) 533-3555 to consult with us today.

So far, the year 2012 has been an accident-plagued year for the cruise ship industry.

Coming on the heels of the deadly Costa Concordia shipwreck in January which left 32 people dead, and the Costa Allegra cruise ship fire that occurred in the an engine room in February, leaving 1,000 people stranded for days without lights, air conditioning, or working toilets, yet another luxury liner has run into trouble.

The cruise ship Azamara Quest, operated by Miami-based Azamara Club Cruises, was temporarily stranded in southern Philippine waters after an engine room fire disabled the cruise ship. Although the fire was quickly extinguished, five crew members suffered smoke inhalation. One of the crew members was in serious condition and required hospitalization.

The liner, which had embarked on a 17-day Southeast Asian cruise, was dead in the water for 24 hours before emergency power was restored and the ship slowly made its way to Sandakan, Malaysia, its next port of call.

There were no reports of passenger injuries and the company stated that the rest of the cruise would be canceled. More than one third of the passengers were Americans.

In other cruise ship-related news, a Miami-based Carnival Corp. liner was seized March 30 by order of a U.S Judge in a lawsuit over a death in the Costa Concordia shipwreck. It was released to sail the next day.

A U.S.-based attorney for the family of a German tourist who died in the Costa Concordia accident sought the Carnival Triumph, which was set to sail out of Galveston, Texas, as security in lieu of Carnival posting a $10 million dollar security bond.

Details of the resolution are confidential. A tersely worded statement from Carnival would only say that the matter had “been resolved.”

If you have any questions about your legal rights and options after a cruise ship incident, the cruise ship accident attorneys in Florida at Farah & Farah are ready to field your questions and answer your concerns. Call us at today (800) 533-3555.

Sources: http://www.trafficsafetymarketing.gov/CAMPAIGNS/Distracted+Driving/One+Text+or+Call+Could+Wreck+It+All; http://www.nsc.org/safety_road/Distracted_Driving/Pages/DDAM.aspx?VanUrl=ddmonth

Coming on the heels of the fatal Costa Concordia grounding, yet another Costa Crociere SpA luxury liner, which is owned by Miami-based Carnival Cruise Lines, is in trouble.

The Costa Allegra, which has over 1,000 passengers aboard, found itself dead in the water in the Indian Ocean after a fire in the engine room shut down all power to the ship. The Daily Beast reports that the fire was put out fairly quickly and was confined to the generator room. However, passengers were told to gather at their muster stations with lifejackets on and to be ready to abandon ship at any moment.

The Allegra was stalled off the coast of Tanzania, prompting rescue crews and Coast Guard ships to race to the scene because of fears that the crippled cruise liner would be easy prey for Somali pirates who frequent the waters in the area. A French trawler that answered the SOS call towed the ship back to Seychelles Island.

An Italian Coast Guard spokesman says that the toilets have not been working since the fire knocked out power and Costa Crociere officials have offered bottles of mineral water for “personal hygiene needs.” Passengers have endured three days of sweltering temperatures on deck because the air-conditioning was also disabled and hundreds of flashlights have been issued because there are no lights onboard.

So far, there have been no reported injuries.

The Florida cruise ship accident attorneys at Farah & Farah are keeping close tabs on this story as it develops and we certainly hope for the safe return of all passenger and crew. If you have questions or want to discuss your legal options following any cruise ship incident, please call us at (800) 533-3555.

Sources: http://news.nationalpost.com/2012/02/29/costa-allegra-passengers-face-sweltering-conditions-with-no-power/; http://www.thefloridanewsjournal.com/2012/02/28/crews-race-save-powerless-cruise-ship-coast-somalia

Consumers should be aware of what they may be in for when they board a cruise ship. The recent wreck of the Costa Concordia off the coast of Italy underscores how carefully you should read the fine print on the back of your passenger ticket. Costa Cruises, which owns the ship, is a subsidiary of Carnival Cruise Lines. On January 13, the captain ran the luxury liner into the rocks off the Tuscan coast, killing at least 30 people and traumatizing everyone on board.

Survivors plan to file a class-action lawsuit against Carnival. The back of the passenger ticket specifies what jurisdiction that lawsuit must be filed in, which is Miami. The injured passengers are asking for $160,000 per passenger, with 3,206 onboard the ship that amounts to almost $513 million. They contend the cruise line knew and even encouraged the captain to sail close to the coast as a form of advertising.

Adding insult to injury, Costa Concordia is offering a 30% discount on future cruises and other future plans with the cruise line. Needless to say, that news was not received well.

Millions of Americans board a cruise ship every year and generally things are smooth sailing. But there are times when dangerous incidents occur onboard, which can range from an assault on a passenger to a cruise ship passenger disappearance. The passenger should read very carefully the fine print on the back of a ticket which outlines your rights and restrictions. Some people opt to have extra insurance to cover a medical emergency that might require an airlift flight to a U.S. hospital.

The Florida cruise ship accident attorneys at Farah & Farah understands the restrictions the powerful cruise industry puts on injured consumers in an effort to stop personal injury lawsuits. You will need an advocate on your side to seek a fair and just compensation. Call us at (800) 533-3555.

Source: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/carnival-offers-survivors-doomed-cruise-costa-concordia-30-future-cruise-outraged-passengers-prepare-lawsuit-article-1.1010066

The Carnival cruise liner, Costa Concordia, capsized late last week in Italy alongside Giglio Island. According to a New York Times article, five more bodies were discovered today, January 17, bringing the reported number of known dead to 11, leaving as many as 24 individuals still unaccounted for. Italian officials have stated that two Americans are in the group of missing people.

There is no doubting the severity of cruise ship passenger disappearances. With so many questions still unanswered at this point regarding the Italy cruise liner accident, an investigation will examine the events before and after the accident further. However, it has been reported that the cruise ship’s captain failed to follow regulation by straying from an established, computerized course. His apparent reasoning for doing so was to have the people of Giglio Island admire the $450 million liner carrying 4,200 people consisting of passengers and crew members. The crash occurred on rocks and within swimming range of the island. The captain has been detained and a judge is expected to determine whether he should be formally arrested and charged with criminal offenses for his actions and abandoning the ship while others were still aboard.

Aside from safety concerns as to oversight in the cruise industry, another liability issue is the potential of the ship starting to spill some of the 500,000 gallons of fuel onboard into waters containing a maritime wildlife sanctuary for whales, dolphins, and porpoises.

The Chicago Tribune reports that because of the crash, the owner of the cruise ship, Carnival, expects to experience a hit of approximately $90 million due to the boat now being unavailable for use for the remainder of the year. As its main booking period continues, the entire cruise ship industry will have to prove itself to customers by stepping up its safety standards and restoring confidence after such a devastating accident.

As this tragic incident demonstrates, companies in charge of cruise ship maintenance, operation, and employment have many responsibilities to customers and crew members. As Florida cruise ship accident attorneys, we have seen first-hand how traumatic the aftermath of such accidents is for passengers and crew members with regard to physical injury, emotional suffering, and financial burdens. Such accidents are all the more devastating for families of loved ones killed. If you have any questions about a cruise ship accident that has affected your life, contact our lawyers today for a free consultation.

Source: http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/breaking/chi-italy-accident-sends-shock-waves-through-cruise-industry-20120116,0,2976778.story; http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/18/world/europe/rescuers-search-for-survivors-in-italian-cruise-ship-accident.html

One passenger on the Carnival ship Sensation was killed and another seriously injured when the two were involved in a jet ski accident recently while on an excursion off the ship in the Bahamas. The injured passenger is in the hospital in the Bahamas, according to a report in The Sun-Sentinel. Their condition is unknown. The ship left Port Canaveral in Brevard County for a three-day trip to Nassau, Bahamas.

There is no more information from this story on the nature of the shore excursion injury accident.

When people are on a cruise, generally they are relaxed and let their guard down and may not be prepared for accidents that happen at sea. From slip and falls, known as premises liability, to sexual assaults, accidents while on shore, theft, falling down a stairway, a drowning or near-drowning in a swimming pool, an accident on a gangway, or falling overboard – all of these events can happen while on a cruise.

The cruise company has a responsibility to provide a reasonably safe environment within which you can enjoy your vacation and it is supposed to oversee excursion operators to make sure they follow the safety protocols and training of adult users before they go out on a personal watercraft.

But don’t expect the cruise industry to take responsibility for your injury at sea. The cruise industry will point to the fine print on the back of a ticket to restrict how and when you can file a personal injury claim. Farah & Farah understands the fine print. It’s all designed to make it difficult to take the industry to court.

While we don’t know what happened to cause this cruise ship accident, our experienced Florida cruise ship accident lawyers would want to begin an investigation immediately to determine what happened. Our experienced attorneys will file an action in the proper jurisdiction within the time restrictions dictated by Carnival. Additionally, we would consider whether or not a third party’s negligence may have been involved. All of this is necessary so we can help you hold liable the entities responsible for your personal injury.

Injuries have been known to occur during a cruise, which after all is a small city of more than 5,000 people. For example, Cruise Junkie reports there have been 160 people who have gone overboard and were never found since 1995. Cruise Junkie is run by a professor in Newfoundland, who is fond of cruising and takes his reports from newspaper accounts.

Last July, a 14-year-old was caught in gang crossfire and killed in St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands while on an excursion from a cruise. And it happened to a woman who claims while on a Carnival Cruise in Jamaica last year, she was injured by a bobsled ride. In her complaint filed against Carnival, she states that the ride is a subsidiary of Carnival and names the other involved excursions, Rainforest Adventures, Elite Shore Excursions Foundation, Mystic Mountain Limited and XYZ Corporation. The XYZ Corporation is said to represent the owner of Bobsled Jamaica & Dunn’s River Falls excursion.

The woman claims she was injured on the Bobsled ride July 21, 2010, when the seatbelt restraint failed. She suffered physical and mental pain, loss of enjoyment of life, disfigurement, post traumatic stress disorder, and other mental conditions. She claims to have a physical handicap and will face lost earnings now and in the future. She says her injuries are permanent. Her complaint alleges negligence against Carnival for failing to take reasonable or ordinary care, for failing to maintain equipment, and failing to warn about the dangers and to make sure that the ride operators were properly trained.

Many of you may be wondering: What to do if you are injured on or off of a cruise ship?

• Immediately file a notice to the cruise line, certainly within six months of the injury in the form of a certified letter. This would include any type of injury, a slip and fall, head injury, food poisoning, a pool accident, an injury from flying debris on deck, or a sexual assault, among others.
• Take pictures of the injury even if you have to use a cell phone.

The cruise industry will point to the small print on the back of the excursion and cruise tickets to try and avoid liability, however, Florida maritime law imposes some responsibility on the cruise industry. Courts have rejected the arguments of the cruise industry that they are not liable for passenger injuries because the cruise liner has an obligation to protect its passenger by at least warning them of the potential for dangers, whether it is on an excursion ride or at a particularly dangerous beach or town. In addition, the cruise line is expected to select a competent and safe tour operator. A failure to do so could be considered negligence.

Make sure you are advised by a reputable Florida cruise ship injury accident lawyer if you suffer an injury at sea or while on an excursion from a cruise ship. You may be able to recover your medical expenses, pain and suffering, and lost wages, among other compensation.