DROWNING ACCIDENTS ON CRUISE SHIPS
Drowning or near-drowning on a cruise? Find out if the ship kept you safe.
Pools, hot tubs, water slides, tenders and beaches are all part of a cruise, and some have no lifeguard on duty. If supervision, rescue equipment or safety rules fell short, however, the cruise line or an operator may have to answer for it. Because a drowning can happen in seconds, the footage and crew records often decide what can be proven.
Most cruise tickets give you one year to file, and often six months to give written notice. Time limits after a death can be different, so please call as soon as you can.
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Results
- $150KCarnival · passenger accident
- $80KRoyal · slip & fall
- $35KRoyal · slip & fall
- $100KHolland America · slip & fall
- $38KMSC · slip & fall
- $70KCarnival · slip & fall on deck
HOW DROWNINGS HAPPEN ON CRUISES
A drowning takes seconds, and it is often silent.
A drowning can happen in a few seconds, and it is often quiet, so a child or an adult can go under without anyone noticing. Because of that, who is watching, and what rescue equipment is on hand, can matter more than almost anything else.
A cruise line owes the people on board reasonable care. For example, a case may look at lifeguard coverage, depth markings and warning signs, how crowded the area was, and how quickly the crew reacted. In addition, camera footage, crew logs and medical records can show what happened and when.
Pools with no lifeguard
Large, busy pools where no one is assigned to watch the water.
Hot tubs & spas
Entrapment, overheating and children left without supervision.
Water slides & splash areas
Shallow landings, crowded queues and slides with weak supervision.
Weak depth markings & signs
Unclear warnings, or safety rules that are posted but not enforced.
Missing rescue equipment
No life rings, no emergency alarm, or a slow crew response.
Tenders & boats in port
Overcrowding, too few life jackets and unsafe boarding.
Snorkeling, swimming & beach trips
Poor headcounts, weak supervision and rough surf.
Alcohol near the water
Guests served while visibly drunk, and unsafe behavior ignored.
Anywhere else near water
Private islands, lagoons and more. A hazard isn’t limited to the places listed here.
WHAT YOU HAVE TO PROVE
Someone failed to keep the water safe.
Under general maritime law, a cruise line owes the people on board reasonable care under the circumstances. In a drowning case, that can mean showing the line or an operator did not supervise, warn or equip the area as it reasonably should have, and that the failure played a part in what happened. The rules about who may bring a claim after a death can vary, so each case needs its own review.
A failure of care
No lifeguard or watch, weak warnings, missing rescue gear or a slow response.
A link to the harm
That failure played a part in the drowning or near-drowning.
Harm and loss
Medical records, ongoing care, lost income, and for a family, the losses the law may allow.
WHAT TO DO AFTER A DROWNING OR NEAR-DROWNING
Get care first, then protect what the ship recorded.
Get medical care right away
Even if the person seems fine, get them checked, because breathing problems can appear later. Keep every bill and record.
Ask for the reports
Request a copy of the incident, medical and security reports. Do not sign statements you have not read.
Note what you remember
When you feel able, write down the time, the place, who was watching and what the water and the signs were like.
Get names
Collect names for crew, lifeguards and guests who saw it or helped.
Keep your ticket and photos
Your ticket sets the deadlines and the court. Save your folio, photos, videos and messages too.
Call a Cruise Injury Attorney
Camera footage and crew logs can be overwritten. We can send a written request that they be preserved.
DROWNING ACCIDENT RESULTS
All results[Confirm] CASE TYPE
$0.0M[Confirm] One plain, restrained line about a real case the firm handled.
[Confirm] CASE TYPE
$0.0M[Confirm] One plain, restrained line about a real case the firm handled.
[Confirm] CASE TYPE
$0.0M[Confirm] One plain, restrained line about a real case the firm handled.
Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
IN CLIENTS’ WORDS
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QUESTIONS BEFORE THE CALL
Can I sue a cruise line after a drowning or near-drowning?
Often, yes, depending on the facts. A cruise line can be held responsible when it fails to take reasonable care, for example by leaving a busy pool unwatched, skipping rescue equipment or responding slowly. However, the ticket can limit where and when you can file. For that reason, a free case review is the quickest way to learn where you stand.
Does it matter that there was no lifeguard?
Cruise lines often post a sign saying no lifeguard is on duty, and they may point to it as a defense. It does not automatically end a claim, however. Supervision, warnings, rescue equipment and how fast the crew reacted can still matter. As a result, the footage and records the ship kept are often central.
What if a child drowned or nearly drowned?
We are very sorry, and please call us when you are able to. Cruise lines sometimes say a parent should have been watching, and that can be raised as a defense, but it does not automatically end a claim. Claims for children can also follow different rules, so we explain how it works for your family.
Who can bring a claim if someone died?
That depends on the law that applies. Often, a personal representative of the estate brings the claim for the benefit of family members, such as a spouse, children or parents. Because the rules vary, we explain who may file and what losses may be claimed when you call.
What if it happened at a beach or on a tender in port?
It can still count. Where you can file depends on your ticket and your booking, and an injury in another country can bring that country’s rules into play. Whether the cruise line or an outside operator is responsible also depends on who ran the activity, so we look at what you bought and where.
How long do I have to file?
Most cruise tickets give you one year to file, and often six months to give written notice, both far shorter than usual injury deadlines. Claims after a death may be handled differently, but you should not count on that. So please call as soon as you can, and we will check the dates that apply to your ticket and the law.
What does it cost to find out if I have a case?
Nothing. The case review is free, and if we take your case, we work on contingency, so our fee comes only from what we recover for you. If we do not win, you owe us nothing in attorney fees.
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