Miami Personal Injury Attorney Blog
If you are a crew member and you’ve been gravely injured on a Celebrity cruise ship, you wonder if you have any rights to compensation when you can’t work and need extensive medical treatment. At Wolfson & Leon, we help people hurt in accidents recover damages to help them get their lives back on track. You can find out more about the rights you may have when you have been hurt on a Celebrity cruise ship by calling 305-285-1115 today.
Celebrity Cruise Ships
Celebrity Cruise Lines was established in 1990 and is owned by the Royal Caribbean Group. Celebrity Cruise Lines currently has a fleet of 15 ships and offers cruises to all seven continents. Cruises departing the Port of Miami visit such places as the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Grand Cayman Islands, and the Bahamas.
When you work on a Celebrity cruise ship, you will encounter workplace hazards that are different than those on land. A sudden change in the ship’s movement may cause workers to lose their balance and fall. Crew members who work with machinery could get burned or electrocuted if the equipment is faulty. Slippery decks and walkways can be dangerous to cruise ship workers as they move about the ship. Workers could be hurt if they frequently carry heavy luggage or move equipment. And with cruise ships operating 24 hours a day, crew members work long hours, usually seven days a week.
Different laws cover workplace injuries that happen at sea. Plus, employees working on Celebrity cruise ships must sign an employment agreement. With such complexities, injured Celebrity crew members should seek the help of an experienced Miami maritime lawyer as soon as possible.
What Should I Do if I Get Hurt Working on a Celebrity Cruise Ship?
Crew members can get hurt while working on cruise ships. Many accidents result in minor injuries, such as scrapes and bruises. But you should get immediate medical help when an accident results in severe damage, such as broken bones, head trauma, or neck or back injuries caused by a fall.
Employees must sign an employment agreement to work on a Celebrity cruise ship. If you were badly hurt while working on a cruise ship, you need to take steps to secure your financial interests if you need to file a claim against your employer. Therefore, following any provisions in your employment contract is crucial.
Some critical steps that should be taken if you were hurt on a Celebrity cruise ship include;
- Report the accident: Let your supervisor know about the accident and injury as soon as you can. Get copies of any incident reports or forms your supervisor completes to document your accident.
- Contact information: If any passengers or other crew members witnessed your accident, get their name and contact information in case you need it in the future.
- Documentation: Take steps to document the accident area and your injuries. Write down relevant details you remember from the accident while it is fresh in your mind. Pictures and videos of where the accident happened and anything that may have contributed to your injury are helpful. You should include pictures of your injuries.
- Medical staff: When visiting the medical staff, ask for copies of your charts and any other forms they complete. If you are given medication or instructions, be sure to follow these without exception. Deciding to go back to work earlier than you should or participating in activities that could aggravate your injuries could damage your chances of recovering compensation should you pursue a claim.
- Avoid returning to work before you are ready: You could aggravate your injuries if you return to work before full recovery. Plus, if you go back to work earlier than you should, the cruise line could question the severity of your injuries if you decide to pursue a claim.
What Laws Cover Injured Celebrity Crew Members?
If you get hurt on a Celebrity cruise ship, you might think you can file a worker’s compensation claim to cover your wages and medical care. However, these laws do not apply to crew members who get hurt on cruise ships.
Injured cruise ship workers must find monetary relief under maritime law. Typically, an eligible crew member seeks compensation under the Jones Act. To qualify, the cruise ship worker must prove that they meet the definition of a “seaman,” as follows:
- Their role contributes to the overall purpose and mission of the ship
- The work done shows that they are a member of the crew
- At least 30% of their time is spent working while the vessel is in navigation.
If you meet the definition of a “seaman,” you must demonstrate that your employer was negligent and that this caused you to get hurt.
An employer may be negligent if they did not provide enough staff or didn’t train their workers properly. Your employer could be negligent if the ship doesn’t have the appropriate safety gear or is aware of a hazard that was not fixed, such as broken equipment or inadequate no-slip walking surfaces.
Will My Crew Member Injury Case go to Court?
Many cruise lines include an arbitration clause in their employment agreement. This clause usually requires the use of an independent third party, known as an arbitrator, to review the relevant facts and circumstances of the case and to decide on the outcome of the case.
Using an arbitrator keeps the case out of court. But if you want your claim to be evaluated by a jury of your peers, you are out of luck. And whatever the arbitrator determines is final.
Call a Celebrity Injured Crew Member Attorney
If you are a Celebrity crew member who was gravely injured on the job, you should speak with a Miami maritime law firm experienced in cruise ship law. A severe injury can keep you from working and, in some cases, could permanently alter your way of life.
At Wolfson & Leon, we invite you to call about your case. Our Celebrity cruise ship accident lawyers take the time to listen to your side, review your claim for its legal merit, and talk with you about potential monetary damages. Find out how the Celebrity cruise ship accident lawyer can help you today by calling 305-285-1115.