Do I Have to Give the Cruise Line Notice Regarding My On Board Injury in Tampa, Florida?

If you are injured on a cruise the first thing you should do is seek appropriate medical care. Secondly, you should report your injury to on-board  personnel, they would generally make out an accident report. You should try to get a copy of that report if at all possible and when you return you should contact an attorney in Tampa, FL who is competent and qualified to handle cruise ship injury cases.  Normally, a formal written notice needs to be given to the cruise line within 180 days of your injury and if your claim cannot be amicably resolved, suit must be filed generally within 1 year of the date of injury and oftentimes in a location totally unconnected with where your accident occurred. For example, if you’re injured on a Holland-America cruise, suit has to be filed in Seattle even though you depart out of Tampa.  On a cruise, let’s say a Carnival suit has to be filed in Miami so it’s very important that you properly contact an attorney in Florida who concentrates his practice in admiralty so that you don’t miss an important requirement and that you file your claim in the appropriate jurisdiction.

This informational blog post was provided by Dennis Morgenstern, an experienced Tampa, Florida Maritime Injury Lawyer.