Missing Persons on Cruise Ships

When you go with a group on a cruise ship holiday, you should expect everyone to come back home safely. However, sometimes this isn’t the case. Sadly, there are multiple people who have gone missing from cruise ships each year. There are multiple circumstances in which someone could go missing. If someone from your group does go missing, you should be entitled to compensation from the cruise company.

How Do People Go Missing On A Cruise Ship?

In a closed environment like a cruise ship, it would seem that there is no way that anyone could go missing. However, there are multiple ways that someone can vanish from the ship. For example, the guard rails might not be up to standard. If this is the case, you can easily trip and fall overboard. Also, some passengers might get intoxicated. This can cause them to lose their balance, falling over the side of the boat. Another common situation is where the ship encounters rough waters. This can cause the deck to get wet, and the boat to rock violently. In these circumstances, someone might go over the guardrail and fall into the ocean. Finally, in some cases foul play might be involved. For example, the passenger might get pushed or thrown over the side of the boat. However, how many people go missing on cruise ships per year? The number of people who vanish this way can be difficult to calculate. This is because some cruise companies might choose not to report these issues so that they can preserve their reputation. Based on the reports that have been filed, we can estimate that around 200 people go missing from cruise ships each year. This shows that cruise ship disappearances are more frequent than most people realize.

How Long Do You Have When You Fall Overboard?

After falling into the water, there is only a limited time that most people can survive. For this reason, it’s essential for cruise companies to launch rescue operations as quickly as possible. Often the main factors that determine how long you will survive are the temperature of the water and how well you can swim. For example, if the water is 40 degrees Fahrenheit you might have as little as 60 minutes before hypothermia starts to set in. Once this does set in, you won’t be able to survive for very long, as your body starts to freeze. Another potential risk factor is shark attacks, which are common in warmer waters. For this reason, when someone goes overboard, it’s essential to recover them as quickly as possible. This is why going missing is one of the biggest risk factors when taking a cruise. If this has happened to someone you know, you can take action against the cruise company. However, before you can do this, your Florida cruise ship accident lawyer would have to prove that the cruise ship company is responsible for their disappearance. There are multiple ways that you might be able to do this.

Proving That The Cruise Company Is Liable

To show who is liable for the accident, your personal injury lawyer will need to thoroughly investigate the circumstances of the disappearance. This will allow them to see what factors might have been responsible for the incident. For example, they might need to use security footage of the deck to see if they can see the person going overboard. Alternatively, they might want to talk to anyone who might have spoken to the person that night. This can tell them if substances like alcohol or drugs may have been a factor in their disappearance.

During their investigation, they will be looking for some ways that the cruise line might have demonstrated negligence. For example, they might not have installed security rails properly. Regulations state that these railings need to be at least 42 inches above the deck. Also, they will need to have ways of detecting when someone falls overboard. This will allow the crew to act quickly. In addition, the circumstances in which the accident occurred can often have an impact on who is liable for the accident. For example, the cruise line will need to warn passengers of rough seas. If they fail to do this, people won’t be prepared for these conditions, increasing the chances that they will fall.  

Another way that cruise line can be held liable for the accident is by examining the crew’s response to the disappearance. For example, they need to have things like peepholes in the ship, making it easier for them to spot anyone who might be lost in the water. They will also need to try to perform actions to rescue the person. Finally, new regulations ensure that they need to report the disappearance to the appropriate authorities. Often, this is the FBI and the Coast Guard. Generally, cruise companies have a responsibility to keep all their passengers and crew members safe. This means that under most circumstances, your lawyer will be able to show that they are liable.

Hire An Experienced Lawyer

When you encounter missing persons on cruise ships, you should make sure to contact a maritime personal injury lawyer. They will be able to investigate the incident. This may help provide grieving families with some closure. They will also be able to make sure that you get compensation from the cruise line. Often, you will be entitled to a large amount of money. However, this can be a complex area of law to navigate. For this reason, you should make sure to hire an experienced lawyer who will be able to guide you through the process, ensuring that you win your case.

Conclusion

Sadly, missing persons on cruise ships are more frequent than you might have expected. This is often to prevent the cruise ship company from any bad publicity. However, if you do encounter a missing person, you can get compensation. To do this, you should make sure to contact The Injury Firm, which offers highly-skilled Florida cruise ship accident lawyers, to help you get a positive resolution to your case.

Cruise Ship Lines that have reported missing persons:

• Norwegian Epic
• Costa Concordia
• Golden Princess Cruises
• Carnival
• Disney
• Royal Caribbean