21 Feb, 2013
U.S. Law Firm Offers Free Consultations to Cruise Ship Disaster Victims
Bonita Springs, FL (PRWEB) February 16, 2013 – Parker Waichman LLP, a U.S. law firm dedicated to protecting the rights of victims injured by cruise ships, is monitoring the developments following the Carnival Cruise debacle that stranded thousands of passengers and crew in squalor. “It was kind of like everything that could go wrong would go wrong,” Rian Tipton, one of the more than 4,000 people on board the disabled cruise liner, told The Chicago Tribune.
“It is unfortunate that when people plan for vacation, they now have to wonder if their cruise line is adequately prepared to provide the basic necessities to their passengers should disaster strike,” says Gary Falkowitz, attorney at Parker Waichman LLP.
This is not the first time the cruise-line industry has made headlines in recent years over disasters impacting passengers and crew, according to a report by NPR (National Public Radio) published February 15, 2013. In 2010, a fire aboard a Carnival Splendor liner also left the ship adrift and passengers without access to basic needs. The historic 2012 Costa Concordia disaster left passengers missing, injured, and dead, and a lifeboat accident aboard a Thomson Cruises ship killed five crew members this week, leading to cancellation of the cruise, the NPR report noted. The Carnival Triumph is owned by Carnival Corp, which also owns Costa Cruises, Princess Cruises, Holland America, Cunard, and P&O, to name some, in addition to Carnival, NPR noted.
A Los Angeles Times report chronicled what life was like this week aboard the Carnival Triumph and described a massive ocean liner with only one working elevator; minimal, if any power sources; urine and feces polluting hallways; rotting food; massive lines for the very few operational toilets; and rooms that were either too hot or too cold. Passenger, Reverend Wendell Gill, told the LA Times that, after the fire, “You seldom saw a deck officer…. I never saw the captain.” According to the LA Times report, passengers complained of sewage leaking through showers, into sinks, and on carpets, forcing passengers to other levels. Traumatized passengers described air quality that was unacceptable and passengers were forced to drag bedding out of rooms to sleep on deck.
It’s not just the trauma of being stranded out at sea and that what was meant to be a relaxing event becomes a nightmarish experience, there are serious issues associated with being confined in a space in which raw sewage, fecal matter, and spoiling food abound. Cruise line passengers and crew injured in slip and falls and any number of accidents that have caused broken bones and sprains, injured backs, head injuries, missed work time, and medical bills; illnesses that were not adequately or appropriately treated when on board a ship; and any other number of dangerous issues often may not realize that they have legal recourse.
If you or a loved one were injured or became sick while on the cruise ship, please contact their office by visiting the firm’s cruise ship injury lawsuit page at yourlawyer.com. Free case evaluations are also available by calling 1 800 LAW INFO (1-800-529-4636).
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