What to Do if I’m Injured at the High Seas Rally

The High Seas Rally is the only motorcycle rally where you can cruise the seas instead of the roads. It’s sure to be a lot of fun, but injuries can happen, sometimes due to negligence. Because maritime law governs accident claims for injuries at sea, seeking justice can be complicated. A Tampa cruise ship accident lawyer will have the knowledge base to take on your case.

Knowing what to do if you’re injured at the High Seas Rally is important so that you can take certain steps to protect your current and future well-being.

Steps to Take After Suffering an Injury at the High Seas Rally

The High Seas Rally will be held from October 26 to November 2, 2024 on the Royal Caribbean Radiance of the Seas cruise ship. If you’re injured at the High Seas Rally, we commend taking the following steps to protect your health and your potential personal injury claim.

Seek Medical Care

Some injuries, like broken bones or head trauma, obviously need immediate medical attention. Other injuries may present with just a twinge or ache, and you may shrug off visiting the onboard medical center. However, anytime you’ve been in an accident on a cruise ship, it’s important to have a medical professional examine you, as this creates a link between the accident and your injury. 

Report Your Injury

Verbally report your injury to one of the ship’s employees immediately and ask to fill out an injury form.

Before the end of your journey, ask for copies of your medical records, the accident form, and any other documentation related to the accident and your injury that the medical team or ship’s staff completed.

Collect Evidence

You or a friend or family member with you should do the following:

• Take pictures of your injuries and the accident scene
• Collect video or written testimonies from eyewitnesses, along with names and contact information
• Recount your story in written form, or make an audio or video recording. Tell of the events leading up to the accident, along with every detail of the incident and the aftermath that you can recall. Provide more information than you think is necessary, as what seems insignificant now may be important to your legal claim.

Seek Legal Help From a Qualified Cruise Ship Attorney

If someone else’s negligence caused your injury, you may have the right to pursue a compensation settlement or judgment. This is a personal injury case, but because your injury occurred on a cruise, the case will move forward under federal maritime law rather than Florida state law.

A cruise ship accident attorney will help you understand your rights and guide you through the complicated stages of a personal injury case under these particular circumstances.

How Do You Prove Negligence for an Injury at the High Seas Rally?

There are several potentially liable parties for a cruise injury claim, including the cruise line, an excursion company, or other people on board, such as another High Seas Rally attendee.

When you purchase a ticket for the High Seas Rally cruise, that ticket comes with a contract that may affect your ability to hold a cruise line liable for injuries resulting from negligence. Read the contract before boarding, and share it with your cruise ship accident lawyer should you be injured during the cruise.

Proving negligence for a cruise ship accident is similar to proving negligence for, say, slipping and falling at your local grocery store. The elements that your attorney must prove include:

• The at-fault party owed you a duty of care to behave reasonably to protect you from harm.
• The liable party breached that duty of care by not acting reasonably to prevent harm. For instance, the running of the ship might suffer from a lack of boat maintenance or a poorly trained crew.
• The breach of duty caused the accident in which you were injured.
• Your injury caused you to suffer losses, such as medical costs and lost wages.

Damages You May Collect in a Compensation Settlement or Judgment Award After a High Seas Rally Injury

You may be eligible to collect various damages, depending on the losses you suffered from your injury while at the High Seas Rally, but personal injury damages usually include:

• Medical expenses for your current and future care
• Loss of income during recovery
• Loss of future earnings, should your injury prevent you from returning to work
• Property loss, if any of your belongings were damaged during the accident
• Pain and suffering
• Emotional trauma

What Are Some of the Most Common Causes of Cruise Ship Injuries?

Cruises are fun activities, but accidents happen, and the injuries you suffer can have life-long consequences. The causes of injuries suffered during a cruise may include but aren’t limited to:

• Improperly maintained walking surfaces, causing slip and fall injuries
• Dim or nonexistent lighting, contributing to trips and falls
• Unsafe food storage and handling, causing foodborne illness
• Poorly maintained equipment used on excursions, causing various injuries
• Unclean water storage, causing waterborne illness
• Misjudgment when piloting in rough seas, causing various injuries
• No safety equipment or lifeguards around the pools, contributing to drownings or near-drownings
• Nonfunctional firefighting equipment, contributing to burn injuries
• Poorly maintained stairs or rails, causing slip and fall injuries
• Medical malpractice, which can lead to an exacerbation of your original injuries or additional harm

Common Injuries Suffered on a Cruise Ship

The injuries resulting from negligence on a cruise ship may include:

• Sprains and lacerations
• Traumatic brain injuries
• Burns
• Broken bones
• Viral or bacterial infections
• Spinal injuries
• Neck and back injuries

Work with a Cruise Ship Attorney at Chalik & Chalik Injury Lawyers to Protect Your Rights

Call our personal injury law firm to schedule a free initial consultation. Learn your rights and your best legal options for pursuing justice. Our legal team has represented injured clients for more than 20 years. We know maritime law and will fight for you as we would our own family.