Docking Accidents

One minute you are waiting on the cruise ship to make your way down to the dock. You plan to enjoy the day with a little excursion, visiting a local town, do some shopping and maybe take in a few sites. Excited, you disembark and start to walk across the dock. The next minute, you find yourself flat on your back with pain radiating from your leg and your head pounding. Without even knowing what happened, you have experienced a cruise ship dock accident.

Although accidents and injuries can happen anywhere on a cruise ship, the dock is a particularly dangerous area. This is because the dock is usually wet and slippery, is exposed to the elements and, often times, not stable. In other words, it is ripe for slip and fall accidents.

When you experience a dock accident, you have the right to receive compensation for your injuries. Compensation can be collected for:

• Medical treatment for all of your injuries
• Future medical care required for ongoing treatment
• Medical care for any future injuries resulting from the original motorcycle accident injury
• Outstanding medical bills
• Loss wages due to not being able to work
• Pain and suffering

However, in order to be compensated, you first have to prove that the cruise ship or dock owner was responsible for your injury. According to the law, the owner of a cruise ship has a duty to maintain all publicly accessible areas of the ship in a safe condition – and this includes docks. Since the cruise ship should know of the inherent risks of docks, they should warn you of these risks and take reasonable measures to mitigate the risks. If they fail to do so, then they can be held responsible for your injuries.

Unfortunately, dock accident injury claims are typically complex. This is because numerous issues come up that frustrate your claim. Before filing your claim, you will have to answer such questions as:

• Which country has jurisdiction over your injury (where is the dock located)?
• Whether or not maritime law is applicable?
• Who is liable for your injuries (the ship owner, the travel agency, the cruise operator, the marina)?
• How long do you have to file your claim for compensation?

In order to get the compensation you deserve for your cruise ship dock accident injuries, it is important to consult the advice of an experienced cruise ship accident attorney. Since 1977, James Cunningham has been helping cruise ship accident victims receive justice and fair compensation for their dock accident injuries. To ensure you get the compensation you deserve for your cruise ship accident injuries, contact the Law Offices of James O. Cunningham, P.A., at 877-FL-INJURY (877-354-6587) for a free initial consultation.

Types of Cruise Ship Accidents & Injuries