South Carolina Cruise Ship and Boating Accident Lawyers
Unlike many state law premises liability regimes under which the duty of care owed by an owner or proprietor to members of the public turns upon the status of the patron or visitor on the premises, under the admiralty law, paying passengers and non-paying visitors are entitled to the same level of care while aboard ship.
Passenger Vessel Operators Owe Passengers A Duty of Reasonable Care for Their Safety
Passengers and visitors are entitled to safe means of boarding the vessel, safe facilities aboard the vessel, and compliance with all applicable safety standards and regulations. Passengers and visitors are also entitled to freedom from negligence on the part of the vessel owners or their employees, freedom from reasonably preventable injury by other passengers or visitors, and freedom from intentional misconduct of the vessel owners or their employees.
Under the doctrine of attractive nuisance, vessel owners who fail to anticipate and protect against a child’s natural attraction to certain dangerous conditions may be held liable for injuries to children thus lured into danger.
If you or a loved one has been injured while aboard a pleasure boat, cruise ship, or other vessel, it is important to know that these matters are time-sensitive. There are time-bar provisions on claims arising out of the injury of cruise ship passengers which require action within six months of an injury in some instances. In addition, many cruise line boarding documents contain forum selection and choice of law provisions which require that claims be filed in certain jurisdictions. Other recreational vessel injury claims may be subject to strict time limits as well.
At Cooper and Bilbrey, P.C., we are experienced in assisting clients with the ins and outs of pleasure boat and cruise ship injury claims. To learn more about what we can do to assert your claim in a timely manner, please contact your South Carolina Boat Accident Lawyers at Cooper and Bilbrey, P.C., today for a free, confidential consultation with no obligation.
