We've been featured in:

Norwegian Cruise Line Cruises Accident Claims Guide – How Much Compensation Can I Claim For A Personal Injury On A Norwegian Cruise Line Cruise?

Norwegian Cruise Line personal injury claimCruises are becoming an even more popular way to holiday with cruise lines adding to their fleets all the time. Many people opt for cruising holidays due to their luxury interior, the many destinations that can be visited on one vacation and due to their all inclusive packages. Norwegian Cruise Line founded in 1966 is the third largest cruise line in the world.

As with any holiday including cruising holidays there is a potential risk for an accident to happen. If the accident that happens is due to the negligence of a third party, possibly a tour operator or cruise line provider then you may be eligible for damages. We are a trusted and expert personal injury claims law firm. Our solicitors have up to three decades of experience in handling holiday accident claims like yours. If you are entitled to claim, we will estimate how much compensation you could receive and will provide you with an excellent personal injury lawyer to handle your Norwegian Cruise Line accident personal injury claim.

Call 0800 073 8804 to take advantage of our free personal injury claims consultation today. If you have the right to make a Norwegian Cruise Line holiday accident claim, one of our excellent personal injury solicitors could start working on your case right away. Our solicitors will always push to get you the maximum rate of cruise ship compensation that you are owed, so you won’t be shortchanged. Call to enquire about your personal injury claims today.

Select A Section

A Guide To Personal Injury Claims On A Norwegian Cruise

Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) is the world’s third largest cruise line. In 2018, the business owned 8.7% of the global market share for cruise holidays. Its headquartered in Florida, USA and is owed by parent company Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings. The company operates 17 cruise vessels. The largest of these ships has the capacity for nearly 4,500 guests. Norwegian Cruise Line offers cruise holidays to the Caribbean, Latin America, Florida and the Bahamas, mainland USA, Asia and Canada, amongst other destinations.

Cruises that are provided by Norwegian Cruise Line are run to a high standard. However, if standards of health and safety were to be neglected onboard, this could result in Norwegian Cruise Line accidents taking place. If an accident takes place which was caused by negligence on the part of Norwegian Cruise Line, they could be held liable for any injuries or illness caused, and have to pay the person who suffered a cruise line injury or illness, compensation.

If you have been injured or made ill because of a Norwegian Cruise Line accident that was not your fault, you could be entitled to make a cruise ship injury claim or cruise ship illness compensation claim. We have created this guide for anyone looking to claim cruise ship compensation. We will look at the requirements to make a Norwegian Cruise Line accident personal injury claim and examples of cruise ship accidents that people could possibly claim compensation for. We will also look in detail at the benefits of making a no win no fee cruise ship accident claim. Read on to find out more.

Examples of Potential Cruise Ship Injuries Or Illnesses

As we have already stated, Norwegian Cruise Line has to uphold high standards of health and safety onboard, to protect their staff, passengers and anyone else who uses their cruise ships.

Here are examples of illnesses or injuries that could occur on a cruise ship, which could result from an avoidable accident or error;

  • Cruise ship food poisoning and food allergy reactions.
  • Cruise ship norovirus.
  • Slips trips falls, leading to soft tissue injuries or broken bones.
  • Hip injuries which can be caused by a passenger falling due to a hazard, or a chair collapsing beneath them.
  • Neck and back injuries.
  • Burn injuries caused by food or beverages being served at too hot a temperature

Accidents Which Could Happen On A Cruise Ship

Cruise ship companies have a duty of care towards their passengers. This means that they are responsible for providing them with a safe and hygienic environment on the ship, or during pre-arranged all inclusive activities on land. If a passenger is injured because of an avoidable accident on a Norwegian Cruise Line ship, which was caused by negligence on the part of the business, then they could be held liable for any injury or illness caused and have to pay the guest accident compensation.

Accidents that could happen on a cruise ship, if standards of health and safety are neglected:

  • Food becoming contaminated with the norovirus or other forms of food poisoning, due to poor kitchen hygiene or being stored, cooked and prepared incorrectly.
  • Slips, trips and falls could be caused by wet flooring with no warning signs, broken staircases or broken railings.
  • Lift and escalator accidents on a cruise ship could be caused by poor maintenance, or not having an emergency stop button on the escalator.
  • Medical negligence at the ship’s onboard medical facilities.
  • Accidents at on land excursions, provided by the cruise ship operator or tour operator.

What Duties Of Care Do Cruise Lines Have To Those On Board?

All cruise holiday providers and cruise lines have a legal duty of care towards people who use their ships and services. This can include passengers, staff or other individuals, such as contractors, for example. In short, Norwegian Cruise Line’s duty of care means that they must ensure that they take every possible precaution to protect the health and safety of others, onboard their ships. These principles are codified by The International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS). Therefore, if NCL fails to uphold its duty of care and an individual suffers a Norwegian Cruise Line injury or illness in an accident caused by negligence on the part of the business, that individual could make a cruise ship compensation claim.

Time Limits To Claim For An Accident At Sea

There are strict time limits for making any type of personal injury claim. If your solicitor is pursuing your accident at sea using the Athens Convention there is a time limit of 2 years from the date of embarkation. If you try to begin your claim after after it has reached its limitation, it is likely that it will be too late. We recommend that you call Legal Expert as soon as possible to enquire about beginning your Norwegian Cruise Line personal injury claim, to avoid missing out.

Accidents That Could Occur In Your Cruise Ship Room Or Cabin

An accident on a cruise ship could happen in a guest’s cabin or onboard accommodation. For example, a bed with broken mattress springs could cause back injuries, or furniture that has not been properly fixed to the wall could fall and hit a passenger. Floors in cabins could also cause slip hazards if there is a leak from the bathroom, trip hazards could be caused if the floor is damaged or broken furniture could cause lacerations.

If you have been injured due to substandard conditions in your accommodation, call Legal Expert today to see if you could make a Norwegian Cruise Line accident personal injury claim. If you have legitimate grounds to claim compensation, we could provide you with an excellent holiday injury lawyer who will start working on your case right away.

Transfer Coach And Bus Accidents

Many cruise companies and all inclusive package holidays also provide a cruise ship bus or coach transfer service from and to the airport, at the start and end of the passenger’s cruise holiday. This means if you are injured in a road traffic accident that was not your fault, during your bus or coach experience, you could be entitled to make an accident personal injury claim for compensation. The accident may have been caused by a fault on the part of your driver, another driver, or a fault with the vehicle which wasn’t discovered during an inspection.

Have you been injured because of a coach or bus transfer incident? Then you could be entitled to make a holiday accident claim for compensation. Call us today, and if you are entitled to claim, we will provide you with the right holiday accident solicitor to handle your claim.

Potential Tender Boat Accident Claims

Some accidents at sea could happen on tender boats. A tender boat is a smaller boat which takes passengers from the cruise to the port, at key stopping points on the cruise tour. When sailing on a tender boat, if the tender is supplied by Norwegian Cruise Line staff they should take just as much care as they do on the main boat, to avoid a cruise ship tender boat accident. Accidents that could happen on a tender boat include passengers falling off the gangway if it has not been properly secured, slips trips and falls due to a slippy deck, or accidents caused by broken handrails.

If you have been injured in an accident at sea that was not your fault, on a tender boat, you could possibly be entitled to make a cruise ship compensation claims for your injuries.

Cruise Ship Illness Compensation Claims

Examples of illnesses on cruise ships could include: cruise ship food allergy claims, norovirus claims and compensation claims for food poisoning on a cruise ship. We will now look at what this involves in more detail below.

Cruise companies are responsible for listing any allergenic ingredients included in the food or drink they offer, to properly inform their customers who suffer from food allergies. If they fail to inform their customers of the allergenic contents of a meal and a customer suffers an allergic reaction as a result, they could be held liable for the customer’s injuries. This means that the customer would be entitled to make a cruise ship allergy claim for compensation. Call Legal Expert today, if you believe you are entitled to make a cruise ship food allergy claim for compensation. If you are entitled to claim, we will provide you with an excellent holiday injury solicitor to make your claim.

Another problem on cruise ships, can be food poisoning and outbreaks of the Norovirus. Because cruise ships are close quarter environments, this means that it can be easier for GI illnesses to spread. Clients frequently ask us questions such as “What causes norovirus on cruise ships?”, “How do I avoid getting the norovirus on a cruise?” Norovirus is mostly spread through food, water or contaminated surfaces. Therefore, cruise ship kitchen staff have a responsibility to sterilise their instruments before they cook, to avoid the spread of this sort of infectious illness. Although cruise ship guests can take steps to avoid the norovirus on cruise ships by washing their hands frequently, it is the cruise ship’s responsibility to ensure that onboard meals are safe to eat.

If you have been made ill with the norovirus or another form of food poisoning on a NCL because of negligence on the part of the company, call Legal Expert to see if you are eligible to pursue a claim for damages.

How Much Can I Claim For My Cruise Ship Injury?

Have you suffered a Norwegian Cruise Line injury or illness because of negligence on the part of the company? Then you could be entitled to make a cruise ship compensation claim. If you are considering claiming for your cruise ship injury, you are probably anxious to know how much compensation you could be awarded. You can use our personal injury claims calculator, to estimate how much compensation you could be entitled to receive. The quote will only include general damages that you could receive, not special damages. Alternatively for a quote that is personalised to you, call Legal Expert to speak to one of our expert advisors.

Edit
Type Of Injury/Illness Severity Compensation Range Further Notes
Hand injury Moderate Injury £5,110 to £11,640 The range in this category starts with soft tissue, lacerations, deep wounds, crushing injuries, the top brackets is reserved for permanent damage.
Arm injury Less Severe Injury £16,830 to £34,340 The range in this category includes significant disability but a substantial degree of recovery is expected.
Finger injury Fracture of index finger £7,990 to £10,730 Fracture has recovered but grip remains impaired.
Back injury Moderate Injury £10,970 to £34,000 The range in this category starts with as disturbance of ligaments and muscles giving rise to backache, soft tissue injuries, prolapsed discs to incidents of a compression/crush fracture of the lumbar vertebrae where there is a substantial risk of osteoarthritis. The impact on daily life will play a significant part.
Neck injury Minor Injury Up to £2,150 Recovery within 3 months.
Ankle injury Modest Injuries Up to £12,050 The range in this category includes sprains and soft tissue damage and displaced fractures.
Foot injury Severe Injury £36,800 to £61,410 The range in this category includes fractures to both heels, significant pain and restriction.

What Could My Cruise Ship Claim Compensate Me For?

If you win your personal injury claims against Norwegian Cruise Line, you will be awarded general damages and special damages as part of your personal injury claim. We will now look at what this means in more detail below.

General Damages

If you make a successful cruise ship accident claim, general damages are usually the largest part of your compensation payout. General damages compensate you for the pain, suffering and loss of amenity that you have experienced as a result of your accident.

Special Damages

As well as general damages, you could also be awarded additional compensation in the form of special damages. Special damages reimburse you for any financial losses you have experienced as a result of your injuries.

  • You could claim back any medical expenses you underwent as a result of your accident. This could include the cost of medicine, hospital treatment or seeking specialist therapy such as physiotherapy.
  • You could claim back any travel expenses you underwent as a result of your accident. This could include the cost of transport to a hospital after your injury or illness, and the cost of repatriation if you had to be sent home.
  • You could claim back any expenses to pay for home adaptations or mobility equipment that you now need, as a result of your cruise ship accident.
  • If a friend or family member cared for you at home while you were recovering from you injuries or illness, then you could claim compensation for them.
  • If you have lost income because of your injuries or illness, for example because you have been unable to work while recovering, then you could be entitled to claim back any salary or in work benefits that you lost.

What To Do If You Have An Accident On A Cruise Ship

If you are a passenger on a Norwegian Cruise Line ship, or a member of staff, who suffered a cruise ship injury or illness because of an accident that was not your fault, then you could be entitled to claim compensation for your injuries. It helps if you collect evidence to support your Norwegian Cruise Line personal injury claim. Here are some examples of steps that you could take, below.

  • Collect photographic evidence to support your cruise ship accident claim, including photos of the hazard that caused your accident and photos of your injuries.
  • Report your accident to the cruise ship management, and make sure they record the accident accurately in the ship’s accident report book. If you booked your cruise ship holiday through a tour operator, report your injuries to them too.
  • Keep a record of everything that you buy which is related to your injury.
  • Visit the on ship doctor, or a doctor on land at the earliest possible chance, to obtain a medical report which defines your injuries.
  • Take down the contact details of anyone who witnessed your cruise ship accident. They may be able to provide evidence to support your claim at a later stage.

No Win No Fee Personal Injury Claims Against Norwegian Cruise Line

If you wish to make a Norwegian Cruise Line accident personal injury claim, Legal Expert will give you the option to make a no win no fee claim if they think you have a valid case. What does this mean? No win no fee means that you could make your claim without paying an upfront fee. Instead, your holiday injury lawyer will only charge you a fee if and when your claim is successful. If you do not win your claim, you will not have to pay their fee. For many clients, making a no win no fee cruise ship compensation claim is the less stressful way to claim. To find out more, read our online guide to making a no win no fee claim here.

Contact Our Holiday Accident Claims Team

If you have been injured or made ill because of an accident that was not your fault, you could be able to make a cruise ship compensation claim. Trust Legal Expert to handle your Norwegian Cruise Line accident personal injury claim. Our personal injury solicitors have up to 30 years of experience, and will always fight to get you the maximum amount of compensation that you are owed. So call now to make your claim.

Useful Links

Royal Carribbean Cruise Holiday Accident Claims – How Much Can I Claim For An Injury Or Illness?

How Much Can I Claim If I am Involved In A Cruise Ship Accident Or Injury? – Find out in this guide.

How Much Compensation For An Accident While On A Package Holiday? – Find out here.