Olympia Personal Injury Lawyer - Maritime Accidents and Admiralty Law

Deaths on Cruise Ships

Michael Myers — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 16:18:47 GMT

While the injuries and deaths of cruise passengers is not a particularly fond topic of cruise companies, procedures must be in place for if a passengers falls ill or dies while on board.

Almost all ships have doctors and nurses on board, and many ships also have an area that can serve as a morgue.

However, there is rarely any counseling available on board for the grieving family of the deceased passenger. Often a spouse or family member is forced to continue traveling for several days aboard the ship until it reaches a port.

Often, the charges associated with a death at sea, including the return of a body, fall on the passenger or the passenger's family, not the cruise ship company. Such charges can be several thousand dollars.

"Don't take things on the mainland for granted when you step onto a ship," said Mark Brimble, the Vice President of the International Cruise Victims Association.

We are unaware of any wrongful death cases which have been brought against Holland America where a passenger has died aboard a vessel. However, wrongful death claims have been successfully asserted where passengers have died as a result of third party negligence on an excursion recommended or arranged by Holland America.

For more information on this subject, please refer to the section on Airline, Cruise, Bus, and Other Mass Transit.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Michael Myers

Cruise Ship Woes

Ryan Nute — Fri, 18 May 2007 08:30:03 GMT

Most people who go on cruises have a great time and return home with fond memories. But sometimes things just don't go according to plan.

You may have seen the latest news story about the cruise ship in Alaska (the Empress of the North, owned by Seattle company Majestic America Line) which struck a rock, requiring a rescue operation. Apparently the vessel had a history of prior problems.

We handle a number of cruise ship injury cases, particularly against Holland America (which requires that passengers bring claims in Seattle where it is headquartered). Many of our clients are understandably upset about the conditions which caused their injuries, but they are often angrier about poor customer service and the cruise ship's lack of concern.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Ryan Nute

Taking a Cruise? Consider Cruise Insurance

Ryan Nute — Tue, 09 Jan 2007 10:09:12 GMT

Many people dream about taking a cruise. Rarely do they dream that they might need insurance in case they get hurt on the voyage. Cruise insurance policies are becoming more common as cruising increases in popularity.

Cruise policies include coverage for trip cancellation/interruption, medical and evacuation coverage. Policies can also include coverage for the cost of traveling to the ship's next port of call if a passenger misses a plane to the point of embarkation.

Apparently some insurance plans may not necessarily cover incidents that occur in international waters or the cost of evacuating a passenger from the vessel to an appropriate medical facility. Cruise polices can also assist in coordinating care during a challenging time.

Our firm has handled a number of cruise ship cases. I've yet to see one where the injured person had cruise insurance.

Maritime Accidents and Crabbing's New Rules

Staff Writer — Wed, 14 Jun 2006 09:04:33 GMT

Myers and Company has extensive experience in handling accidents on the high seas, including all types of cases involving maritime, admiralty and Jones Act laws. The first crabbing season with rules to to increase profits and safety while decreasing waste just ended. How did the new rules affect the crab fleet?

Opinions vary. According to the Seattle Times:

Some skippers say they took advantage of the new share system -- where a slower harvest doesn't mean a reduced catch -- to stay in port during a season that produced some severe storms and freezing spray that can coat vessels with ice.
Other skippers say that they still faced pressure to work fast through horrible weather to meet delivery schedules from processors. The processors wanted to ship crabs in time to sell at market peaks, such as Christmas and New Year's, and also wanted to limit the time period when plants would have to stay open.

Read the full article.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Staff Writer