ICE SKATING ACCIDENTS ON CRUISE SHIPS
Hurt on a cruise ship ice rink? Find out if the rink was run safely.
Some large cruise ships have ice rinks, where guests of every skill level skate in crowded sessions on a ship that is always moving. If the ice, the skates, the rules or the supervision fell short, however, the cruise line may have to answer for it. Because crew and cameras watch the rink, early action can matter.
Most cruise tickets give you one year to file, and often six months to give written notice. So the clock started the day you were hurt.
FREE CASE REVIEW
Tell us what happened.
Confidential. Submitting does not create an attorney-client relationship.
Results
- $150KCarnival · passenger accident
- $80KRoyal · slip & fall
- $35KRoyal · slip & fall
- $100KHolland America · slip & fall
- $38KMSC · slip & fall
- $70KCarnival · slip & fall on deck
HOW ICE SKATING ACCIDENTS HAPPEN
Ice is hard, skates are sharp, and the ship never stops moving.
A fall on ice can break a wrist, ankle or hip, or strike the head, and sharp skate blades can cut when skaters collide. Because many guests are beginners and the rink is often crowded, how the sessions are run matters as much as how well a guest skates.
A cruise line owes the people on board reasonable care. For example, a case may look at how the ice was kept, whether skates were sharpened and fitted, whether helmets and instruction were offered, and how many staff watched the rink. In addition, camera footage, rink logs and earlier injury reports can show what the line knew and when.
Falls on the ice
Wrist, ankle, hip and head injuries from hard falls.
Head injuries
No helmet offered or required, or falls in a crowded session.
Collisions & pile-ups
Skaters of mixed skill with too little space or control.
Skate blade cuts
Sharp blades, falls and crowds that lead to deep cuts.
Poor ice conditions
Rough, wet or damaged ice, and ship motion that was not allowed for.
Ill-fitting or worn skates
Loose fits, worn blades or skates that were never sharpened.
Too few monitors
Not enough staff to watch a busy rink and stop unsafe skating.
Weak rules & instruction
Unclear rules, no lessons, or beginners mixed with advanced skaters.
Anywhere else around the rink
Wet floors, stairs and benches. A hazard isn’t limited to the places listed here.
WHAT YOU HAVE TO PROVE
The rink was not kept safe.
Under general maritime law, a cruise line owes passengers reasonable care under the circumstances. In an ice skating case, that can mean showing the line did not maintain the ice, equip skaters, supervise the rink or warn about the risks as it reasonably should have, or knew of earlier injuries and did not act. A signed waiver is often raised, but it does not always end a claim.
A failure of care
Poor ice upkeep, worn skates, thin supervision or weak rules.
Notice of the risk
Earlier injuries, reports or complaints the line knew about and did not act on.
Injury and loss
Medical records, ongoing care, lost income and the trip itself.
WHAT TO DO AFTER AN ICE SKATING INJURY
Get checked first, then protect what the rink recorded.
Get medical care right away
Head injuries and fractures can be missed at first, so get checked even if you feel fine. Keep every bill and record.
Report it and ask for the report
Tell the rink staff and guest services, then ask for a copy of the incident report. Do not sign statements you have not read.
Photograph the ice, skates and rules
Take pictures of the ice, your skates, any posted rules and your injuries, if you can do so safely.
Get names
Collect names for the rink staff and guests who saw what happened.
Keep your ticket and folio
Your ticket sets the deadlines and the court. Save your folio and messages from the cruise line too.
Call a Cruise Injury Attorney
Camera footage, rink logs and rental skate records can be lost. We can send a written request that they be preserved.
ICE SKATING RESULTS
All results[Confirm] INJURY TYPE
$0.0M[Confirm] One plain line about a real ice rink case the firm handled.
[Confirm] INJURY TYPE
$0.0M[Confirm] One plain line about a real ice rink case the firm handled.
[Confirm] INJURY TYPE
$0.0M[Confirm] One plain line about a real ice rink case the firm handled.
Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
IN CLIENTS’ WORDS
“Great firm with amazing professionals and support staff. They were diligent and made me feel like their own client. Hopefully I won’t need their services again but if I do, I’ll be back.”
“I was recommended here by a close friend and my experiences with this firm have all been great! I especially love the young lady named Jessica who usually answers the calls… She is very professional with a down to earth vibe that makes it feel like you are being taken care of very well. I will be recommending this law firm to all of my close friends!”
QUESTIONS BEFORE THE CALL
Can I sue a cruise line for an ice skating injury?
Often, yes, depending on the facts. A cruise line can be held responsible when it fails to take reasonable care, for example with poor ice upkeep, worn skates or too few monitors. 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.
What if I am a beginner, or I just fell on my own?
The cruise line may say falls are part of skating, and fault can be shared. That does not automatically defeat a claim, however. How the rink was run, what instruction and gear you were given, and how crowded the session was can still matter. As a result, we look at the whole picture.
Do a waiver or the rink rules stop my claim?
Not necessarily. Waivers and posted rules are often raised as defenses, but they do not always end a claim. Because the details matter, please keep a copy of anything you signed and call us before you assume anything.
What injuries can happen on a cruise ship ice rink?
Falls and collisions can cause broken wrists, ankles and hips, head injuries, concussions and deep cuts from skate blades, and some effects show up days later. A doctor visit matters even if you feel fine. Because medical records help show what happened, please keep every one.
My child was hurt on the ice. Does anything change?
It can. Claims for children can follow different rules from claims for adults, so please call us even if time seems to have passed. In the meantime, keep your child’s medical records, anything a parent signed and your booking.
How long do I have to file an ice skating injury claim?
Most cruise tickets give you one year to file, and often six months to give written notice, both far shorter than usual injury deadlines. Because the clock may already be running, please call as soon as you can. We will then check the dates that apply to your ticket.
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.
FREE CASE REVIEW
Hurt on a cruise? Talk to Debi’s team today.
No fee unless we win. The call costs nothing, and we respond as soon as possible.