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Cruise Ship Accidents

Helping Passengers Get the Relief & Resources They Need. Billions Won.

Houston Cruise Ship Accident Lawyers

Helping Victims of Negligence & Assault Get Closure Nationwide

Cruise ships are floating cities, housing hundreds of passengers and staff in a multi-floor complex that includes numerous restaurants, clubs, and leisure centers. However, like a floating city, cruise ships are prone to the same kind of risks that cities have: sexual assault or harassment, slip-and-fall accidents, toxic exposure, and general negligence leading to catastrophic injuries. Cruise lines know that they have a problem.

Over a 3-year period, there were roughly 200 injuries that took place aboard or during a cruise, with around 25 classified as serious. However, the real threat to passengers was the high rate of sexual assault. Of all the crimes committed aboard cruise ships in 2016, 70 percent were sex crimes—most of them committed against minors.

Cruise ships are required to report crimes committed on the vessel, but the public has only had access to this information in recent years. Our Texas cruise ship injury attorneys believe cruise line companies must do better. If you or a loved one was harmed while on a cruise ship, holding the company accountable could provide a way to pay for your physical and mental recovery—while preventing what happened to you from happening again.

Call (888) 493-1629 or contact us online to review your options with a top-rated attorney for free.

Texas Cruise Ship Injury Lawyers Fight for Vessel Employees

Cruise ship employees have the same rights as passengers. Employees have the same right to a safe environment, to medical care when needed, and to hold responsible parties accountable when they're injured by negligence. Our Houston cruise ship injury attorneys have represented numerous workers who were injured by the willful and heinous negligence of their employers. Many of our clients felt like there was nothing they could do—their employer was too big, too well-equipped to fight.

Our firm makes it our mission to level the playing field between injured individuals and large corporations who put profits over all else. We help cruise ship workers bring their employers to court, where their power is equal under the law.

Our Texas cruise ship attorneys have helped our clients obtain billions to get treatment, afford therapy, and get their lives back to normal. We've handled hundreds of premises liability and offshore injury cases before, making us uniquely equipped to handle cruise ship accident cases.

Cruise Ship Sexual Assault Is On the Rise

Cruise liners have a sexual harassment problem. Because the perceived safety of a cruise ship affects ticket sales, perpetrators of sexual assault act with more impunity than they do onshore. They know that it's in the cruise line's best interest to not prosecute sexual assault cases—leaving hundreds of young men and women without a voice and without justice. The system is broken because the "investigators" for crimes committed aboard cruise liners are hired by the cruise—which means they are automatically in an adversarial relationship with the victims. Wanting to avoid a lawsuit, cruise ships will do more to "cover up" a crime than actually get justice for it.

As a result, reported numbers and actual numbers differ by a wide margin. For example, in 2017 Carnival Cruises reported that their crew was accused of 62 accounts of sexual misconduct (not including crimes committed by passengers). Two weeks after reporting that number, Carnival came clean—their initial report was 70 percent too low. The actual number of sexual misconduct accusations was 108.

Of those 108 cases, 16 were accusations from passengers accusing crew members of rape, and another 6 were crew members accusing fellow workers of rape.

Cruise ship injuries are not necessarily accidents—these crimes deserve to be heard in civil and criminal court, where the perpetrator can face the State's justice while making recompense for the damage they caused.

Passengers & Employees Deserve Safe Surroundings

When someone is injured on private property by unsafe conditions, they have the right to hold the property owner accountable under premises liability law. While our Houston cruise ship injury lawyers often apply the law to accidents (like slipping and falling), "reasonably safe" conditions include ensuring the crew hired to help passengers is trustworthy. When crew members have a history of sexual assault allegations or have a record that should bar them from working near minors, it's the cruise company that needs to be held accountable.

Their poor or unsafe hiring practices make them legally liable for the crimes their employees commit against other workers or against guests. As Texas trial lawyers, one of our greatest privileges is empowering clients to hold their wrongdoers responsible for what they did—for making them face (publically) the harm and pain they willfully caused. On top of that, our cases often force companies to change their policies, making it less likely what happened to our client will happen again.

Houston Gangway Accident Lawyers Helping Clients After Serious Accidents

Passengers and workers face possible dangers on cruise ships the moment they begin to board one. Gangway and boarding accidents are some of the common types of accidents that cause injury. Because of this, cruise operators are especially responsible for making sure they're prevented.

Causes of gangway and boarding accidents include:

  • Change in weather or currents
  • Failed gangway wire rope
  • Improper use of gangway
  • Inadequate safety precautions
  • Lack of proper maintenance
  • Unsecured gangway

Houston Cruise Ship Wrongful Death Attorneys

When negligence is truly heinous, it can cost someone their life—and put their family through a brutal, years-long grieving process. We've found that while these companies frame accidents as "natural events" or inevitable and unfortunate, there's usually a pattern behind every accident. Our job is to find that pattern and put an end to it—to make sure that no one ever has to suffer the same fate as you and your loved one.

Our Houston wrongful death lawyers have investigated vessels from nearly every major cruise company. We often find the same markers for negligence: poor safety protocol; sloppy hiring practices; cost-cutting at the expense of passenger safety; and just plain complacency. When people are killed by another person's carelessness, the voice of the deceased deserves to be heard. The grieving families they leave behind deserve a sense of purpose, of meaning. We provide both by fighting for better policies that prevent the sort of fate your loved one suffered.

Cruise Ship Accident FAQ

Why do cruise ship accidents and assaults happen?

Accidents and assaults on cruise ships happen when individuals and companies fail to take proper measures to ensure the safety of passengers and crew members. Even accidents have specific causes that can be identified and traced back to acts of negligence, overlooked safety measures, or even intentional wrongdoing. Assaults may be intentional, but they too stem from failures to provide adequate security measures, perform background checks, or take appropriate action against reported abusers. Cruise lines should be held accountable for failing to protect their passengers and crew, and our firm is committed to exposing wrongdoing to help victims and prevent others from future harm.

Who’s responsible for cruise ship accidents?

After a serious accident or injury on a cruise ship, the question of liability always arises. Who is legally responsible for paying a victim for his or her injuries? The answer will depend on what caused the accident in the first place and whether the injured person was a passenger or crew member. In some cases, more than one individual or company could be held responsible for a victim’s injuries.

A cruise ship accident case may be filed against a:

  • Cruise line
  • Fellow passenger
  • Onshore excursion company
  • Manufacturer of a defective product on a cruise ship

Our cruise injury lawyers at Arnold & Itkin have extensive experience with these cases, and we have access to teams of investigators and expert witnesses who can help us investigate your case and build a strong argument against the responsible party or parties. We’ll take all the necessary steps to set things right.

Where should I file my lawsuit against a cruise line?

If you’re a passenger on a cruise ship, when you buy and sign for your ticket, there will be a clause stating where any personal injury claim would be filed in the event of an injury. This is called the forum selection clause and may vary depending on the cruise line. You may live in one state, depart from the cruise in another state, travel to another country during the cruise, and then file your personal injury lawsuit in yet another state. Your attorney can help you determine in which court your case should be filed.

Call Our Houston Cruise Ship Injury Lawyers at (888) 493-1629

Whatever the nature of your harm, our Houston cruise ship injury law firm is equipped to help you get justice. Our legal team of trial attorneys wants to make sure you and your family have everything you need to move forward in peace, with dignity and grace. Get started with a free consultation. Together, you and one of our Texas attorneys will review your options and determine the best way to help you rebuild. If we can help, then we will front the costs of your case from start to finish. We advance the costs of your case (including our fee) to your result. Our cruise ship injury firm shoulders the risk, so if you don't win, you owe us nothing. We fight for the best future for our clients by securing the best results.

Get started today! It all begins with a simple phone call at (888) 493-1629 or a quick online form.

Case Results

Check Out Our Victories

  • $29 Million The Largest Known Settlement for a Wrongful Death Offshore Kurt Arnold, Jason Itkin, and Cory Itkin successfully secured a record settlement for a single family who tragically lost a loved one. It is the largest known settlement for a death that occurred offshore. While a settlement is not an admittance of ...
  • $14 Million Jones Act Settlement Reached Two Days Before Trial Arnold & Itkin represented a seaman after he suffered a head injury on the Hercules 15 inland barge. Hercules employees tack welded a three foot pipe to the derrick and then forgot to remove it before starting drilling operations. The pipe was jarred ...
  • $11.5 Million Settlement Won for Injured Victim of Offshore Accident Arnold & Itkin obtained a settlement of $11.5 million on behalf of an offshore accident victim suffering from both physical and psychological injuries. His settlement will ensure that our client gets all the time, financial support, and stability he ...
  • $8.9 Million Settlement Achieved for Severely Injured Seaman Arnold & Itkin helped secure a settlement on behalf of a seaman who injured his head when working aboard an offshore drilling vessel. Our firm helped to recover $8.9 million on his behalf.
  • $8 Million Massive Settlement Reached Before Trial Began Our firm represented an offshore worker (a steward) who seriously injured his back in an accident. The injury prevented him from making a living. While other lawyers told him his case was only worth a few hundred thousand dollars, our attorneys knew ...
  • $7.2 Million Millions Won for Brain-Injured Client in Louisiana Arnold & Itkin recovered more than $7 million in a settlement for a severely injured Louisiana client. Our client suffered brain injury and memory issues while working on an offshore platform. The defendant settled his case during jury selection, and ...
  • $7.1 Million Concussed Worker Received a Massive Settlement after Accident Arnold & Itkin represented an offshore worker with a concussion and a herniated disk from an accident on the job. These injuries inhibited our client’s ability to make a living, requiring him to pursue a claim. His employers eventually resolved the ...
  • $6.9 Million Settlement Obtained for Family of Deceased Offshore Worker Arnold & Itkin negotiated a multi-million dollar settlement for the family of a man who died offshore. Though the defendant attempted to get away with an extremely low offer, our team obtained a settlement that was many times larger.
  • $6.6 Million Settlement Obtained for Wife & Family of Deceased Offshore Worker Arnold & Itkin helped a woman and her family get justice after her husband was killed in an incident offshore. Despite undue pressure from the defendant, our firm made sure our clients were taken care of for the rest of their lives.
  • $6.5 Million Settlement Secured for Injured Crew Member on Barge Arnold & Itkin obtained a seven-figure settlement for an offshore worker who was injured off the coast of Florida while working in needlessly dangerous conditions. His settlement will help him move forward after irreparable damage was done to his ...
See All Results
“Jason Itkin sets them apart from anyone else. When you meet him, you’ll know why. He just takes all the breath out of the room when he walks in and he’s negotiating for you.”
Josh Offshore Accident Victim

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