Cruise ships are becoming one of the most popular ways to enjoy a family vacation. In the past thirty years approximately eighty million people have taken cruise vacations. The cruise industry is the fastest growing segment of the vacation market. Frankly, the cruise ship industry is booming. Combined, the major cruise lines make billions of dollars annually. A large family will spend a "pretty penny" on a seven day cruise. At the same time, cruise ship accidents have risen. In spite of their success, many cruise ship lines have come under fire for poor shipboard safety and sanitation practices. In fact in 2007 a cruise-liner sunk near Greece and some passengers said that the staff was ill prepared and looked scared. Some lines have even admitted to dumping polluted sewage into ocean. Carnival Cruise Lines experienced several high-profile cruise ship accidents recently including fires aboard the Tropicale and the Ecstasy and allegations of criminal activity (sexual assault) aboard Carnival ships. A Cruise Ship Accident Lawyer, like the ones at Penney and Associates, can be your greatest ally if you have been injured in this type of accident.

Unfortunately, cruise ships have become quite efficient at limiting their liability for these types of incidents through the use of fine print found on passengers' tickets and trying not to register their ships in the United States. One of the most effective techniques used by the industry to limit cruise ship accident litigation is to require that all lawsuits be filed in the port of embarkation. The cruise lines are well aware that most of their passengers do not live near these ports or probably even in the same state. As a result, many otherwise valid lawsuits are never pursued because of the victim's reluctance to travel back to the area for trial. But just like a car wreck where a driver is from another state or country...that person is still liable.

Common cruise ship accidents and injuries include:

Call Penney and Associates for your free consultation about a cruise ship injury whether in port in Miami, San Diego, Ft. Lauderdale or abroad. Our Cruise Ship Accident Lawyers are ready to represent you.