What are my chances of settling an injury claim against a cruise line without the services of a lawyer?
Due to all of the provisions that could be put into a passenger ticket limiting the passenger's rights, the short period of time for filing, and the other intricacies of the law, the chances of successfully settling a claim for a fair amount are extremely low. When you pay money for your spot on the cruise ship and that company gives you a ticket in return, a contract is formed. Consequently, the cruise line may limit such things as the amount of time an action for injury against it may be brought (usually 1 year), the amount of recovery for lost baggage, and which state or country may hear the case or provide the applicable law. To further complicate matters, whether a cruise line can limit it's liability to customers via tickets depends on whether the cruise originated in the United States or touched any U.S. ports. Contact attorneys who handle admiralty and maritime injury cases. They normally take cases on a contingency fee basis, which is usually a fee of 1/3 of what they recover from the cruise line.
The first thing you should do if injured on a cruise line is to carefully review your ticket. Nearly all passenger tickets place severe limitations on your rights to bring a claim against the cruise lines. Generally, there is a provision that you must notify the cruise line of your injury within six months from the incident or else your claim will be barred. You should do this by certified mail - return the receipt requested and keep a copy of the letter sent.
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