Cruise Ship Accidents

A tropical vacation becomes a nightmare. A holiday at sea turns sour. These are the realities that strike energetic cruise tourists and vacationers more often than one might expect. Collisions with other ships, fires on board, rouge waves, and severe weather storms that lead to flooding and sinking are among the past causes of cruise ship tragedies. Injured parties with viable claims against a cruise line company can include both passengers and crew members.

If you or a loved one have been injured in a cruise ship accident, or have suffered another vacation accident, the personal injury attorneys at the Boston and Cambridge law firm of Altman & Altman, LLP, are prepared to help you financially recover. With over 40 years of experience, our skilled lawyers are familiar with state, federal and maritime laws, and will aggressively seek payment of medical expenses, lost wages, and emotional distress damages, whether via settlement or at trial.

Millions of people worldwide board cruise ships each year, filled with excitement about their much-anticipated vacation. However, despite their exotic appeal and tropical destinations, cruise ships can be a breeding ground of injury and illness due to their unique characteristics. On cruise ships, injuries and fatalities can result from overcrowding, unsafe ship conditions, bad weather conditions, and the failure of the ship crew to adequately prepare for bad weather. Lawsuits involving cruise ships may involve any of the following:

• slip and fall accidents
• fires on board
• collisions (e.g., with ships, waves, or icebergs)
• food poisoning from contaminated food and drinks (e.g., salmonella, widespread gastrointestinal infections)
• failure to provide appropriate medical services
• unclean conditions/failed health inspection
• physical or sexual assault or rape by a crew member or a fellow passenger
• failure to provide disability services and accommodations
• failure to appropriately prepare for/monitor bad weather

Boston, Massachusetts boasts four major cruise lines: the well-known Carnival Cruises, the Norwegian Cruise Line, the Royal Caribbean, and the Holland America Line. Along with providing transatlantic cruises, companies also run single-day and single-night cruises out of Boston Harbor, whether for birthday parties, school groups, or other social gatherings. If you are a Massachusetts resident involved in an international cruise accident, or a person injured while aboard a ship that departed from, arrived in, or was destined to arrive in, Massachusetts, you may have a viable personal injury claim.

The seasoned attorneys at Altman & Altman, LLP understand that the medical, emotional, and financial consequences of a cruise ship accident can be frightening and overwhelming. If you have lost a family member due to a cruise ship accident, you may also be eligible to file a claim for wrongful death. Our Massachusetts cruise ship accident attorneys have the tools, intellect, and diligence to help you recover. Our firm prides itself in its accessibility to clients. To schedule a free, confidential consultation, call us at 617.492.3000 or 800.481.6199 (toll free), or contact us online. We can be reached 24 hours per day, 7 days a week. Please note that we represent clients who have been injured in vacation accidents on a contingency fee basis: we charge no fee unless you recover.