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As an well known tourist destination, Miami constantly receives visitors from all over the world. Many of these travellers will go on one of the cruise ships that sails out of the large port near the downtown area. Unfortunately, cruise ships routinely have problems with passengers who become ill or get hurt while on board and have their vacations ruined. When this happens, it is best to speak with a lawyer who focuses on this area of the law and tell them your story.
A tragic incident involving the death of a young girl happened on a Carnival ship that had returned to Miami.
Young girl falls to her death shortly before she was supposed to exit a cruise ship
The situation happened when the eight year old attempted to look at the crowds while standing on a guard rail while the ship was in the process of disembarking passengers. She was with a sibling when they both attempted to climb up and look over the railing. The girl’s mother said she believes someone must have bumped into the girl and caused her to fall over. She fell two stories onto lower decks and hit her head on a wooden table below. The child’s parents started screaming and quickly ran down to the area. A retired EMT happened to be in the area, and he tried to attempt to perform CPR on the child. The Miami-Dade Police and emergency crews arrived to secure the area and transport the girl to Ryder Trauma Center. She was pronounced dead shortly afterward by medical staff at the hospital.
A spokesperson from Carnival Cruises said that she believes there is no security footage of the accident. The Miami-Dade Police and Fire Rescue departments released statements that they have no further updates beyond what was initially reported at the scene. The local news interviewed an attorney who practices locally. He said that these kinds of cases against cruise lines are actually quite common, and many of them are taken to trial.
Special rules for lawsuits where cruise companies are defendants
Cruise ships can be sued like any other business that operates in the United States. However, because these vessels spend large amounts of time in international waters, there are a number special rules that are implicated. Many lawsuits against cruise lines will not necessarily follow the same rules as standard personal injury cases.
Because of these differences in suing a cruise line versus other businesses, it is recommended to only talk to a lawyer who dedicates their practice to cruise line lawsuits.
Get help from a maritime lawyer in the Miami metro area
Some lawyers in the city do focus their practice on bringing cases against cruise ships. Madalon Law is available to help victims throughout South Florida.
