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Mediterranean Cruise Accident Personal Injury Claims Guide – How To Claim
From the Port of Arles and Villefranche in France to Barcelona in Spain, Rome to Italy and a variety of ports and destinations across Greece, the Mediterranean is home to some of the world’s most popular cruise destinations, routes and lines.
Whether you are looking to visit stunning towns and cities with centuries of history and culture, want to sample amazing foods, are a history buff, or want to enjoy the beautiful seas, a cruise around the Mediterranean can have it all. But, what happens if you have a Mediterranean cruise accident? In this guide to Mediterranean cruise personal injury claims, we look at how you could be injured whilst on a cruise, what you should do if injured, how to make and fund a cruise injury claim, and a look at how much compensation you may be awarded in different circumstances.
To find out more about working with our law firm, please read this guide. And when ready to do so, you can contact our specialist holiday injury solicitors by calling the number above.
Select A Section
- A Guide To A Mediterranean Cruise Accident Personal Injury Claims
- Busiest Mediterranean Cruise Ports
- Accidents And Injuries That Could Happen On A Cruise Ship
- What Could Cause You To Be Sick On A Cruise Ship?
- Food Allergy Compensation Claims
- Accidents And Injuries That Could Happen In Cruise Ship Accommodation
- Leisure Activity Accidents And Injuries
- Accidents And Injuries That Could Happen On A Transfer Coach Or Bus
- Cruise Ship Tender Transfer Accidents
- What Duty Of Care Does A Cruise Ship Operator Owe You?
- Time Limits For Making A Cruise Ship Compensation Claim
- Accident Personal Injury Claim Calculator
- What Can I Be Compensated For If Injured On A Cruise In The Mediterranean?
- Steps To Take If Injured On A Cruise Ship
- No Win No Fee Accident Personal Injury Claim On A Cruise
- Why Claim With Legal Expert?
- Contacting Our Team
- Helpful Links
A Guide To A Mediterranean Cruise Accident Personal Injury Claims
In this guide, we are looking at how people could suffer accidents at sea or in port on a cruise ship and the circumstances in which they could then claim compensation for such injuries. If you have suffered an injury while on a cruise ship that you feel was a result of negligence due to the ship’s staff or the cruise provider, please call us to discuss your case.
There are ways in which you could be injured whilst on a cruise around the Mediterranean. For example, with a close environment often containing thousands of people, an illness could quickly spread if proper measures were not taken. Or you could be injured due to negligence in maintaining the ship’s interior or exterior passenger areas. The circumstances of your injury are less relevant than your ability to clearly show that someone else was responsible for it happening, either through negligence or error.
Below you can find out more about Mediterranean cruise accident claims. To discuss your cruise ship accident at sea claim, contact us using the methods at the bottom of this page.
Busiest Mediterranean Cruise Ports
Before we look at examples of accidents on boats or ships (such as a cruise ship), we will first look at which ports in the Mediterranean are busiest in terms of total cruise ship passenger numbers.
| Cruise Ship Port | Total Passenger Numbers (2017) | Mediterranean cruise ship port ranking |
|---|---|---|
| Barcelona (Spain) | 2,712,247 | 1 |
| Civitavecchia (Italy) | 2,204,336 | 2 |
| The Balearic Islands (Spain) | 2,110,663 | 3 |
| Marseille (France) | 1,487,313 | 4 |
| Venice (Italy) | 1,427,812 | 5 |
| Piraeus/ Athens (Greece) | 1,055,559 | 6 |
| Tenerife Port (Spain) | 964,337 | 7 |
| Naples (Italy) | 927,458 | 8 |
| Genoa (Italy) | 925,188 | 9 |
| Savona (Italy) | 854,443 | 10 |
You could be eligible to claim for cruise ship accidents whether you were injured on a cruise that started from, finished in, or visited these or any other ports in the Mediterranean. For further legal advice, please speak to our solicitors.
Accidents And Injuries That Could Happen On A Cruise Ship
Cruise ships are a very large environment with potentially thousands of people taking part in a wide range of different activities in different parts of the ship. As such, there could be different ways in which people could be injured either when onboard a cruise ship, whilst on organised excursions on land or when transferring between the ship and land, such as on a tender craft.
Examples of cruise ship accidents could include the following:
- Slips trips and falls. There are many ways this type of accident could happen and different injuries which could result from them. There may have been damage to a floor, a spill that has not been cleared up, or other hazards in walkways.
- Recreational activity accidents. Cruise ships are home to various leisure and recreational facilities onboard, such as swimming pools, gyms, and other activities. Accidents could happen if facilities are not maintained properly or if people are not instructed to use facilities safely.
Other examples
- Accidents and injuries on excursions on the land. Your cruise might have included a variety of excursions at certain destinations. If you were injured on excursions booked as part of your package, you could be able to make a personal injury claim against a Mediterranean cruise line or the package holiday provider.
- Accidents could happen when moving around the ship, such as when using elevators and escalators.
- Injuries are caused by an object falling on the person.
- Burn injuries could be caused by anything from a hot coffee burn or hot tea burn to food being served too hot or things like radiators or showers being set far too hot in your cabin.
If you have sustained any of these or other accidents, contact a holiday injury solicitor. They can help define whether you’re eligible to pursue any Mediterranean cruise accident claims.
What Could Cause You To Be Sick On A Cruise Ship?
As well as helping people to claim compensation for accidents and injuries on a cruise ship, we could also help you claim compensation for illnesses on a cruise as a result of cruise staff negligence. Common illnesses on cruise ships could include the following;
- Allergic reactions to foods. If you have food allergies and are served foods you are allergic to, even though you have informed the relevant staff of your allergies and are still served foods containing the allergens, you could claim compensation. Similarly, it may be possible to claim compensation for a case of food poisoning, though these can be harder claims to make as they must be medically proven.
- Norovirus, also known as the winter vomiting bug, can spread quickly in a closed environment like a cruise ship unless adequate steps are taken and taken quickly.
- There are a variety of other illnesses which could be commonly suffered by guests on a cruise ship, including salmonella, gastroenteritis, shigella dysentery, Legionnaires disease, giardiasis, and E. Coli.
If you have suffered these or any other type of illness whilst on a cruise which you contracted due to negligence on the part of the ship’s crew or staff, talk to a holiday injury lawyer to find out if you could make a compensation claim.
Food Allergy Compensation Claims
If you have any food allergies, you will be aware of how serious the effects of eating or drinking any foods you are allergic to. Consuming foods or drinks you are allergic to could lead to mild, moderate or, in the worst cases, even fatal reactions.
Symptoms of an allergic reaction could include;
- Swelling presents on the face, in the throat or mouth, or other parts of the body.
- Difficulty swallowing. This may be related to the above symptoms.
- Difficulty breathing as easily as normal.
- Dizziness and feeling lightheaded. These symptoms may be related to or exacerbated by those above.
- Sickness and/ or nausea.
- Symptoms that seem similar to hay fever.
You can find out more about the symptoms of allergic reactions and how food allergies can be treated in this guide from the NHS. After all, this information could prove to be very important in building your Mediterranean cruise accident claims.
Accidents And Injuries That Could Happen In Cruise Ship Accommodation
Your cabin, suite or another form of accommodation on a cruise ship should be your home away from home and a space to unwind in at the end of the day. However, as with hotel rooms, your accommodation on a cruise ship could also possibly be a place where you could be injured. You could suffer burn injuries if showers or radiators are faulty or suffer from bed bug infestations and bites if hygiene is lax. If the room has not been maintained very well, you could also suffer accidents if furniture collapses or breaks when using it. You could also trip and fall if the flooring has not been maintained and securely placed.
Talk to a personal injury solicitor today to make a cruise ship compensation claim for an accident in your room or cabin.
Leisure Activity Accidents And Injuries
In general, cruise ships will have a variety of different facilities and activities which guests can take advantage of during their cruise. Facilities commonly seen on cruise ships include swimming pools, dance floors, clubs and bars, spas and gym facilities, and a plethora of other forms of activity.
People could be injured when using such facilities if the facility has not been correctly maintained or if the participant is not instructed to use the facility safely. Gym equipment could cause injury unless instructed how to use it properly, and spills on a dance floor that is not cleaned up could cause a slip trip or fall.
If crew negligence led to your injury when participating in activities on your cruise and caused your injury, find out if you could make a Mediterranean cruise personal injury claim with one of our holiday injury lawyers.
Accidents And Injuries That Could Happen On A Transfer Coach Or Bus
Cruises are very often booked as a package holiday with everything from food and beverages to accommodation, excursions, and transfers included in the package. Your package might have included transfers to and from your cruise ship at port or a coach or bus journey taking you to a pre-booked excursion.
If your coach or bus is involved in an accident due to a lack of maintenance, negligence or driver error/ negligence and you were hurt. As a result, you could claim compensation from the package cruise provider as you were injured during part of your package holiday. A different company may have operated the bus or other vehicles, but as long as it was booked as part of your complete package holiday, you may have grounds to claim. Contact a specialist cruise ship injury claims solicitor such as Legal Expert today. And they can explain if you have valid Mediterranean cruise accident claims.
Cruise Ship Tender Transfer Accidents
Cruise Ships can not always moor at a quay or jetty in a harbour. This could be because the destination harbour is too shallow or otherwise unsuitable for larger vessels to dock. Cruise ships may also not enter into port if the weather or sea conditions are poor. A smaller vessel (a tender) will transport passengers to and from the cruise liner in these circumstances. If you use a vessel and suffer an injury through no fault of your own whilst doing so, you may be able to claim for your personal injury on a cruise in the Mediterranean.
The quickest and easiest way of doing so is to discuss your claim with a solicitor who has experience helping people make cruise ship compensation claims.
What Duty Of Care Does A Cruise Ship Operator Owe You?
In the same way, the airline accident claims division often make use of the Montreal Convention. Cruise ship personal injury claims will very often leverage the Athens Convention.
The Athens Conventions will apply to what is called ‘international carriage by the sea’. This is applicable when the port of embarkation and disembarkation are in different countries, OR where these ports are in the same country, but where the ship stops at a port in a third country.
Cruise lines have a duty of care to ensure the safe passage of all aboard, passengers and crew. This liability begins at the embarking port and finishes when you disembark the ship for the last time. If your claim is being made under the Athens Convention, you will only have two years to make your claim.
Time Limits For Making A Cruise Ship Compensation Claim
To make a personal injury claim, you must do so within a set time limit. We have these personal injury claim time limits below for you to see.
| Type of cruise accident claim | Personal injury claim time limit |
|---|---|
| Accidents at sea claimed for under the Athens Convention. | 2 year from the date of disembarking the ship. |
| Package holiday claims booked by a UK tour operator in the UK may include transport and excursions. | 3 years. |
Talk to a personal injury solicitor today to start your Mediterranean cruise personal injury claim within the time limit. Call Legal Expert, and we can advise on time limits for your Mediterranean cruise accident claims.
Accident Personal Injury Claim Calculator
The table below shows examples of injuries you could sustain in accidents on a cruise ship with compensation amounts. For more information about how much your unique claim could be worth, talk to our experts today.
| Injury Type | Compensation Brackets | Injury Information |
|---|---|---|
| Minor Neck Injury | Up to £2,150 to £6,920 | Lower bracket is for full recovery within several months to neck injuries that last from 1/2 years that possibly acceleration and/or exacerbation injuries. Injuries of this kind tend to be soft tissue in nature. |
| Minor Back Injury | Up to £2,150 to £10,970 | Injuries in these brackets tend to be concerned with length of time of injury, severity, ability to work etc and include injuries such as sprains disc prolapses and soft tissue injuries. |
| Moderate or Minor Injury to the Elbow | Up to £11,040 | Brackets include: simple fractures, tennis elbow syndrome and lacerations. |
| Very Minor Wrist Injuries | £3,090 to £4,160 | Undisplaced or minimally displaced fractures and soft tissue injuries. |
| Fracture of Index Finger | £7,990 to £10,730 | Fracture has been repaired, not fully able to grip. |
| Moderate Hip Injury | £23,310 to £34,340 | Hip replacement or surgery needed or necessary in the future to significant pelvis or hip injury but permanent disability not a great risk. |
| Moderate Knee Injury | Up to £12,050 to £22,960 | Twisting and bruising of the knee where recovery is almost complete to dislocation, torn cartilage or meniscus which results in minor instability, and minor disability. |
| Modest Ankle Injuries | Up to £12,050 | Less serious, minor or undisplaced fractures, sprains and ligamentous injuries. |
| Food Poisoning | £3,460 to £8,360 | Varying degree of cramps accompanied by diarrhoea to significant abdominal pain, alteration of the bowel and fatigue. |
| Trivial Scarring | £1,500 to £3,090 | Scarring is minor. |
What Can I Be Compensated For If Injured On A Cruise In The Mediterranean?
When claiming a cruise in the Mediterranean, there are other damages that you could claim compensation for. Examples include;
- Different forms of personal expenses. This could include an excess on a travel insurance policy or medical costs.
- The loss of enjoyment or experiences on your holiday due to the injury or the illness.
- Lost income, earnings and in-work benefits due to your illness.
- The costs of any additional care which you may need as a result of your injury or illness.
- Potential future losses such as possible medical care, likely losses of earnings and no pension contributions.
For advice on how to claim for a cruise ship accident at sea, contact us today on the number above.
Steps To Take If Injured On A Cruise Ship
If you wish to make a cruise ship personal injury claim, there are steps for you to take. These could enhance the chances of your claim. Similarly, there are steps that you should take whether or not you intend to make a claim.
- Ensure you thoroughly treat your injury or illness.
- Report your injury or illness to the ship’s staff. Make sure you record it in the ship’s log and accident report log.
- Collect evidence such as medical reports, photos of your injury, and details of anyone who sees the accident happen.
- Keep receipts of anything you pay for due to your injury or illness, such as healthcare abroad.
Next, we look at No Win No Fee to claim compensation for a cruise ship accident in the Mediterranean sea.
No Win No Fee Accident Personal Injury Claim On A Cruise
If you choose to make your Mediterranean cruise accident claim with our team, the biggest benefit maybe being able to do so through a No Win No Fee agreement. These types of agreements effectively remove any risk in making a claim. They do so by taking away any requirement to pay any costs before or during your claim. They also mean that if your claim does not secure your compensation, you do not need to make any payments to the solicitor at all. In your agreement, there will also be details of what you have to pay. Generally, these are as a percentage of your final award. The success fee from your Mediterranean cruise accident claims is agreeable beforehand between you and your solicitor.
Why Claim With Legal Expert?
You can make a claim secure in the knowledge that you’re working with expert personal injury solicitors. And you can benefit from using a No Win No Fee solicitor. To make your claim with our experts, use the contact details below.
Contacting Our Team
To contact a cruise ship injury claims solicitor, call us on the number at the top of this page. Alternatively, use our contact form to request a callback and message via our online chat facility. Or you can send an email with details of your claim to claims@legalexpert.co.uk.
Helpful Links
Learn how to claim compensation for different accidents, injuries and illnesses. These could happen on cruise holidays, package holidays, or in destinations such as Italy. We also have a link to the NHS guide to staying healthy on a cruise.
NHS Fit For Travel – Cruise Ships
Before taking your cruise, find out how to stay healthy and avoid things such as norovirus.
Cruise Injury Claims
Find out how to make a cruise accident claim whether cruising around the UK or the Caribbean.
Package Holiday Accident Claims
If you have an accident on a package holiday and want to claim, find out how to do so.
Holiday Accidents In Italy
A guide on how to claim for an accident on holiday in Italy.
Edited By Melissa.
Mediterranean Cruise Accident Claims FAQs
How long after an accident can you claim compensation?
You have up to three full years after the accident.
What can you claim for after an accident?
You can claim for your suffering, pain, lack of amenity and loss of income.
Should I accept the first offer of compensation?
No, as you’re going to receive a higher offer weeks or months later probably.
What should you not say to your insurance after an accident?
Never apologise or admit to guilt, because it means that you probably won’t win your case.
Can an insurance company refuse to pay out?
This is possible, though it doesn’t mean that you won’t receive your compensation.
What happens if I reject a settlement offer?
You can’t accept the same offer later on, though you’re likely to receive a larger follow-up offer.
What are 5 reasons for a denial of a claim for payment?
These are the time limit expiring, poor coding, lack of authorisation, poor referrals and a lack of accurate patient information.
What is a fair settlement for pain and suffering?
This is around 80% of what you’re hoping to win from your case.
Thank you for reading our Mediterranean cruise accident claims guide.
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