St. Petersburg Cruise Ship Accident Lawyer

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Did you sustain injuries aboard a cruise ship off the coast of St. Petersburg, Florida? Cruise ship accident cases can involve complex state, federal, and maritime laws. An experienced St. Petersburg cruise ship accident lawyer at Perenich, Caulfield, Avril & Noyes Personal Injury Lawyers can help you fight to recover compensation for medical bills, lost wages, and more.

Collectively, our lawyers have over 300 years of experience in personal injury law. We were one of the first firms in the Tampa Bay area to dedicate our practice to helping accident victims, who have been involved in aviation incidents, St. Petersburg boating accidents, catastrophic injuries, St. Petersburg construction accidents, and more. We’ve won more than $675 million in compensation for our injured clients to date.

If you have questions, call for legal advice today at (727) 349-1728. You can contact our law offices in St. Petersburg, Florida, to schedule a free consultation.

How Perenich, Caulfield, Avril & Noyes Personal Injury Lawyers Can Help After a Cruise Ship Accident in St. Petersburg

You went on vacation expecting to have a good time. Now that you’re injured, it can be tough to know where to turn for help. It’s always a smart idea to call an experienced St. Petersburg personal injury attorney.

Our lawyers at Perenich, Caulfield, Avril & Noyes Personal Injury Lawyers have been recognized by Super Lawyers and Rising Stars. Three of our attorneys have been Board Certified by the Florida Bar Association (a distinction held by less than 2% of all Florida lawyers).

Hiring us gives you a lawyer who will:

Launch an investigation and determine what caused your accident
Identify all parties who are financially responsible for your injuries
Calculate your case value
Hire experts as need throughout your case
Handle negotiations with the insurance company and the cruise ship defense team

Our St. Petersburg personal injury lawyers take a detailed approach so you can rest assured you’re getting every dollar you deserve. Just call today to learn more about how we can fight for you.

How Common Are Cruise Ship Accidents in St. Petersburg?

A cruise ship accident has the potential to be disastrous. However, most cruise ship accidents don’t involve catastrophic sinkings or running around. In fact, only about 450 major cruise ship accidents have been reported since 2005.

That doesn’t mean cruise ship accidents aren’t common. Most boating accidents in Florida involve injuries to a single passenger. These accidents can still be serious. Even a simple slip and fall can wreak havoc on your life–and these are the types of accidents that are most likely to occur aboard a cruise ship.

Over a three-year period, 663 injuries were reported to major cruise lines. About 45% of all injuries that occurred aboard the ship were due to slips, trips and falls.

Assault is also a problem on cruise ships. Over one recent three-month period, 35 sexual assaults were reported to cruise lines.

Our lawyers in St. Petersburg handle all types of cruise accident claims, including those filed against:

Princess Cruise Lines
Carnival Cruise Lines
Disney Cruise Lines
Royal Caribbean
Explorer of the Seas
Norwegian Cruise Line
Holland America Cruises

Facing off against a major cruise line can be daunting. Call Perenich, Caulfield, Avril & Noyes Personal Injury Lawyers to learn more about how an experienced lawyer can help.

What is My St. Petersburg Cruise Ship Accident Case Worth?

You deserve to know how much your case is really worth before launching a lengthy legal battle. Unfortunately, it’s impossible to accurately calculate your case value without understanding the specific facts of your injury claim. That’s because your case value depends on factors that are unique to your accident and injury.

Some of the most significant factors in determining your case value include:

The types of injuries involved
The cost of your medical treatment
Your prognosis, and whether you’re expect to recover or suffer a permanent disability
How the injury impacts your current and future earnings
Your physical pain and suffering
Damage to your lifestyle and mental health
The nature of the accident

If you have questions about how much your case is worth, you can contact our personal injury law firm any time to schedule your free case review.

What Types of Damages Are Available to Cruise Ship Accident Victims in St. Petersburg?

Cruise ship accident victims have the same right to damages as any car accident victim. In other words, you can pursue economic damages or non-economic damages.

Economic damages are financial losses.

Examples of your economic damages may include:

Past and future medical expenses
Rehabilitation
Lost wages
Reduced earning potential
Property damage

Non-economic damages are your intangible losses, including:

Pain and suffering
Emotional distress
Chronic pain
Diminished quality of life
Anxiety and depression
Disfigurement and scarring
Loss of consortium

The insurance companies will try to convince you to settle for less than you deserve. Our St. Petersburg boat accident lawyers are here to make sure your damages are accurately valued.

Can I Recover Damages If I’m Being Blamed for a Cruise Ship Accident in Florida?

If your case involves Florida law, a modified comparative fault law applies with a 51% bar to recovery. Liability is apportioned between all parties involved in the accident. Each party is assigned a percentage of fault. Your compensation will be reduced by your percentage of fault. You also cannot recover any compensation if you are mostly at fault.

The cruise line’s insurance company handles personal injury cases all the time. They know all the tricks to convince you to accept less money than you deserve. If you’re being blamed, they may not have legitimate evidence to back up the allegations. Call our St. Petersburg boat accident attorneys to learn more about how we can protect you.

We’ll Fight to Recover Compensation for All of Your Cruise Ship Accident Injuries

The injuries you sustain in a cruise ship accident can have a dramatic impact on your life.

At Perenich, Caulfield, Avril & Noyes Personal Injury Lawyers, we represent injured clients who have suffered:

Broken bones
Concussions
Facial injuries
Back injuries
Neck injuries
Traumatic brain injuries
Knee injuries
Sprains, strains, and other soft tissue damage
Spinal cord damage
Whiplash
Internal organ damage
Burns
Amputations
Paralysis
Catastrophic injuries
Wrongful death of a loved one

You didn’t expect to sustain injuries on vacation. Our team can help you recover the compensation you deserve. Call today to learn more about how an experienced St. Petersburg cruise ship accident attorney can help.

What Causes Most Cruise Ship Accidents in St. Petersburg, Florida?

Cruise ship accidents happen for many different reasons. Most of the time, human error is the root cause of the accident.

Some of the most common causes of cruise ship accidents in Pinellas County include:

Slip and fall accidents
Inadequate lighting
Power outages
Slick floors and inadequate traction
Equipment malfunctions
Failure to properly train and supervise ship crew members
Failure to warn passengers about dangerous conditions on the ship
Communication failures
Inadequate security
Unsanitary conditions
Negligent hiring practices
Inexperienced crew members
Unqualified captains and boat operators

Cruise ship accidents can happen under any different circumstances.

Our boat accident attorneys in St. Petersburg handle all types of cruise ship accident cases, including those involving:

Assault and sexual assault
Negligent security
Bed bugs
Swimming pool accidents
Drownings
Medical malpractice in the cruise ship’s infirmary
Food poisoning
Fires and explosions
Recreational accidents
Amusement park accidents
Illnesses and virus transmission
Car accidents during onshore excursions
Falls overboard
Running aground
Collisions with other objects or vessels
Sinkings

Determining the cause of your accident is critical to recovering fair compensation. If you were injured, call our lawyers in St. Petersburg for a free case evaluation so that we can get to the bottom of it.

How Do I Prove Negligence After a Cruise Ship Accident in Florida?

It’s likely that your case will be based on negligence. Negligence is a failure to exercise due caution. Like any other property owner, cruise lines are required to maintain their premises in reasonably safe condition.

To prove negligence, you must establish:

The at-fault party’s legal duty of care
A breach of duty
The breach of duty caused your accident
The damages you sustained

You’ll need evidence to establish each of these elements. Our lawyers can help you find the proof you need. We’ll interview witnesses, review accident reports and even locate video footage that can help prove your case.

How Long Do I Have to File a Lawsuit After a Cruise Ship Accident in Florida?

Under Florida state law, injured parties have either two or four years to file a personal injury lawsuit. The two-year deadline applies to accidents occurring on or after 3/24/2023, and the four-year deadline applies to cases that took place before that date. However, there are exceptions.

The cruise line may also impose its own deadlines. If you were hurt aboard a Princess cruise, you could have as little as six months to take legal action. In cases involving federal law or the Jones Act, you may be required to act within three years of the accident. Because of this complexity, contacting a lawyer to confirm the deadline for your case is recommended.

Contact a St. Petersburg Cruise Ship Accident Lawyer for a Free Consultation

If you were hurt aboard a cruise ship, don’t hesitate to reach out to our team at Perenich, Caulfield, Avril & Noyes Personal Injury Lawyers today. An experienced St. Petersburg cruise ship accident lawyer can handle the legal issues so you can work on recovering.

Our personal injury law firm in St. Petersburg, FL also provides: