3 Types Of Falls That Can Happen On A Cruise Ship
Posted on: 30 June 2016
Stairs and floors on a cruise ship present a number of dangers. They are at the center of many cases surrounding tripping and falling every year. If you are injured on a cruise ship, then you have to prove the cruise line was negligent in some way to recover damages. Personal injury attorneys have helped numerous clients beat similar cases. Here three types of falls that can occur on cruise ships.
Tripping Over Thresholds
Cruise lines have thresholds all over their ship. Thresholds are required by federal and international shipping laws to keep the interior of the ship watertight.
A cruise line cannot be negligent for having this design feature. However, they can be negligent for not giving passengers a warning about a threshold. If you trip over one, then you should look for a warning in the form of a sticker or sign on the floor, the door or the wall near the threshold. Lack of proper warning is a sign of negligence.
Wet Stairs
Cruise passengers can slip and fall on outdoor stairs when water accumulates from things like the weather or a spill. An insurance adjuster's first response is that the cruise line is not responsible for the weather. He or she also may say that passengers have to be careful when going down wet stairs. This is partially true, but it does not eliminate the possibility of negligence on the part of the cruise line.
Outdoor stairs have to be maintained. Water should be mopped up so that it doesn't accumulate and form puddles. An outdoor step must have an anti-slip surface. If it doesn't, the cruise line has not taken the necessary steps to make their ship safe.
Worn Carpet
Worn carpet on stairs and in hallways can make them dangerous to go up and down. Carpet that is fraying or peeling off on the edge of the steps or corners of the hallway can create a tripping hazard, so cruise lines have to keep their carpet updated.
If you tripped, fell, and were injured on a cruise ship, and one of these examples is similar to your case, write down the details of how you fell and what made the cruise line negligent. Also, try to determine when the floors and stairs were built and if they were being properly maintained. Then contact a personal injury lawyer like Spiegal And Barbato LLP to find out if you have a solid case.
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