There are few things worse than looking forward to soaking up the sun and enjoying the ocean view when suddenly you slip and fall on the deck. More often than not, you just pick yourself back up and move on, but in the worst-case scenario, you’ve banged your head or broken a hip. What was supposed to be a relaxing vacation has turned into recovery time.
We hope you never experience this, but if the worst should happen, here’s what you should know:
How often are passengers injured?
Statistics show over 600 injuries were reported on a single cruise ship over a 3-year period. 65.3 percent of these occurred onboard, 31.1 percent onshore, and the other 3.6 percent on the tenders.
Luckily, only 12.5 percent of these were classified as serious and required more than 2 weeks of recovery. 2 percent were treated at the port, and 5 percent went to onboard specialists.
Who’s liable?
Determining who is and isn’t liable is often like trying to boil the ocean. The reason is that maritime laws work differently than the law of the land. Variables like international waters, the port where the ship is docked, and what flag the ship is flying under means the decision happens on a case-by-case basis.
