Miami Injury Lawyer for Falling Down Stairs on Cruise Ships
Falling down stairs on cruise ships is more common than many realize. Stairways on cruise ships often differ from those on land due to nautical architecture and design, which follows different standards. Stairs on ships may have uneven risers, odd shapes, and lack of essential safety features like nosing or have worn or missing anti-slip tape. Additionally, many ships have painted metal stairs which are exposed to the elements, which can become slippery when wet. This is especially true in areas near and around pools and dining halls where food and drinks spill and people with wet bathing attire traverse regularly.
Example of Worn out Anti-skid Tape and Nosing
The above photos are from a case our cruise ship accident firm handled. Our client slipped and fell down these exterior stairs that were poorly maintained. As you can see the anti-skip tape was worn out and even missing on some steps. The cruise line knew they had a problem on this older class ship. We got a significant settlement for our client who severely broke her ankle.
Unlike buildings on land, ships are designed for movement and ability to stay afloat posing different obstacles people may not expect. Nautical design standards prioritize space and movement, and seaworthiness. This leads to tripping hazardsthat wouldn’t exist on land. The shifting of the ship can make it easier to lose balance on steps, especially on smaller vessels or rough seas. A ship’s confined spaces and large passenger capacity can create overcrowding. People can spill things on steps leading and lighting in some stairways may be inadequate. Hard to reach handrails, loose nosing, and the constant motion of the ship can easily cause passengers to lose their balance and fall. Broken ankles and feet seem to be the most common trip and fall and slip fall injuries we see on both interior and exterior stairs of the ship. Severe injuries from spinal or head trauma can even cause paralysis and death.
Falling down stairs, whether by slipping or tripping or losing balance, may be compensable from the cruise line due to their negligence. They may have been on notice of a dangerous set of steps or dangerous conditions. If you are asking yourself “Do I have a case if fell down stairs on a cruise ship?”, the answer is yes. We would be honored to be hired as your Miami cruise injury lawyer. All cases for falling down steps on a cruise must be filed infederal court here in Miami under general maritime law and under diversity jurisdiction if the Plaintiff is not a Florida resident. Perkins Law Offices has extensive experience handling cases where passengers were injured due to unsafe stairways. We know how to pursue claims in federal court under maritime law, holding cruise lines accountable for failing to maintain safe conditions on their vessels. If you or a loved one has been injured on stairs or steps on a cruise ship, call Perkins Law Offices at 305-741-5297 or visit perkinslawoffices.com and fill out our contact form.
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