Maritime

Time to file a lawsuit:  One year from when it happened.  That is the deadline in most cruise line sexual assault and injury cases.  If you don’t file suit within that time and in the court required by the ticket, you will not have a claim. That is the long established maritime law. The coronavirus pandemic has…

Anyone who has been on a cruise has participated in the muster drill in which crewmembers give passengers instructions on what to do in the event of a maritime emergency. These drills are required by law and are conducted in order to help ensure passenger safety. But despite its noble cause, the muster drill is…

Key West residents will soon have the opportunity to decide on significantly reducing the prevalence of cruise ships calling on the tropical island city. Understandably, some residents are concerned that such a prohibition would significantly affect Key West’s economy. But others are eager to see the cruise ships go.  TheMaritimeExecutive.com reports that a set of…

As United States based cruise companies await further developments relating to the coronavirus pandemic to definitively announce their return to cruising, some international cruise companies are taking the lead. Maritime-executive.com reports that several European cruise companies have announced, and even begun, a return to cruising, including Norwegian cruise company Hurtigruten and German cruise company TUI.…

While the poor decisions made by cruise lines to protect their passengers and crew from the deadly coronavirus may have led to widespread illness and death, those seeking a class-action lawsuit against the cruise lines may have an uphill battle toward justice. This is because of the lengthy and convoluted legal jargon on cruise tickets. In…

Judge James Lawrence King denied Defendants’ Motion to Dismiss in Baker v. NCL AMERICA, LLC et al, Case 1:19-cv-24442-JLK. This order is significant because even though Defendants’ Motion asserted various arguments including that (a) Plaintiff’s Complaint is an impermissible shotgun pleading; (b) the Complaint fails to allege specific facts establishing Norwegian’s actual or constructive notice…

The head doctor of the cruise ship Costa Fascinosa died of coronavirus after receiving treatment for the virus in Santos, Brazil.  Maritime-executive.com reports that the deceased doctor was 70-year-old Paolo Mudanò of Genoa, Italy. Mudanò and other Fascinosa crew members have been quarantined off the coast of Santos, Brazil since March 19, as local authorities…

Getting sick on a cruise is the last thing most people expect. If this were to occur, travelers often wonder if the cruise line can be sued for the costs of medical care and other losses incurred by the illness. This incident could potentially be grounds for a personal injury case. The liability of the…

The plight of cruise ship passengers aboard the Diamond Princess cruise ship has just gotten considerably worse after the number of cases of passengers ill with coronavirus nearly doubled.  NPR.org reports that 45 Japanese and 11 Americans were diagnosed with coronavirus in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number to 135.  According to the…

MaritimeBulletin.net reports that the cruise ship Vasco da Gama suffered a blackout after an alarm alerted ship authorities to potential danger aboard the ship.  The report quotes a statement from Cruise & Maritime Voyages saying: “An alarm light on the engine control room’s panel led the vessel’s officers to initiate a controlled blackout as a precaution against damage…

Cruise ships are overflowing with activities to keep the whole family entertained. They’re also full of potential dangers that lead to severe injury or death. From slip and fall accidents to Legionnaire’s Disease, there is a wide range of instances that can lead to a cruise ship injury. However, not all damages constitute a lawsuit…

The FBI has arrested a man on suspicion that he severely assaulted a woman while sailing aboard a cruise ship. Arrest of Jeff Smiley III: Special Agent in Charge Douglas A. Leff, of the FBI San Juan Field Office, announced the arrest of Jeff Smiley III for assault of a female passenger on a cruise…

A cruise ship passenger was pronounced dead last week after falling overboard from the ship on which she was traveling. Newsweek.com reports that the 75-year-old female victim was sailing aboard the Costa Pacifica cruise ship when she supposedly jumped overboard voluntarily at about 10:45pm on Thursday. The report cites a witness who claims to have…