How Long do I Have to File a Cruise Ship Injury or Wrongful Death Claim?

In the state of Florida, you have only one year to file a claim following injury, assault, or other harm on a cruise ship. However, there are exceptions to this statute of limitations in cases involving minors or when a life has been lost.

Minor Children and Cruise Ship Injury

Children who are injured on a cruise ship have three years to file a claim. If a legal representative is hired, the family will have one year from that date to file a claim. In both instances, families are awarded additional time to file a claim and seek justice for their children.

The same is true of children who are sexually or physically abused aboard a cruise ship. Victims have three years to file a civil action or one year from the date an attorney is hired.

Wrongful Death

When a loved one dies under avoidable circumstances on a cruise ship, families have the same extension on the statute of limitations as children do: three years to file or one year following the hiring of an attorney. These extensions can be found in 46 USC Sec. 30508 (d) (1) and (2).

Waiting is Not a Good Idea

While you can legally wait to file a claim for a minor or following the death of a loved one, it is not a good idea to delay. The sooner you act, the better able your attorney will be to build a strong and convincing case. Waiting to file allows memory and evidence both to diminish, which can complicate your claim, making it easier to lose.

The attorneys at Hickey Law Firm have decades of experience handling cruise ship injuries and assaults. We encourage you to contact our office as soon as possible following injury on a cruise ship. We are prepared to get to work on your case immediately.

NOBODY FIGHTS HARDER. NOBODY FIGHTS SMARTER. NOBODY. HICKEY LAW FIRM.

To schedule your free case review with one of our cruise ship lawyers, please call 305-371-8000 to schedule a consultation today. Located in Miami, we serve all areas of Florida and the United States.