Injured onboard: what to do if you get hurt on a cruise ship?

Going on a cruise ship is a fantastic experience, whether it’s your first or your tenth one. But, when that excitement turns into confusion after being injured onboard, you have no idea what to do next. 

Most people who get on board a cruise ship never plan to end up with an injury. But accidents on the high seas can happen, whether that is caused by a slip and fall incident, fires, broken railings, or being hit by objects left unsecured. And, the thought of being injured far away from any hospital or urgent care center is really scary. The best time to learn what to do if you get injured during a cruise is before getting on board. 

This article explores what steps you should follow if you get injured while you’re on a cruise ship.

Image source:  https://unsplash.com/photos/Ca4XZM3xABg

Report your accident and injury 

The first step you need to make if you’ve been injured on a cruise ship is to make sure that you don’t stay silent about it. Cruise ships must follow the rules of the International Maritime Organization, which asks each cruise line to develop safety management systems. In other words, cruise ships are required to have an accepted procedure that they need to follow in case a passenger is injured onboard. 

Make sure that you immediately report your accident and make sure it is documented. You should be given an accident report to fill in, which will automatically lead to an investigation. 

Get medical help 

Cruise ships have at least one doctor and some nurses onboard to ensure medical help if a passenger is feeling ill or has a non-emergency condition. Some major cruise ships even have a proper medical center onboard where patients who are seriously ill or injured can get inpatient care. 

If you get injured on a cruise ship, you need to require medical assistance for two good reasons: 

1. Your wellbeing. Even mild injuries can lead to more severe consequences if they aren’t treated accordingly. 
2. Getting medical help will provide you with medical records that you can use for your injury claim. In other words, you’ll have proof that you were genuinely injured while onboard. 

Ask a personal injury lawyer about the Assumption of Risk form 

Cruise lines want their passengers to have a great time while onboard which is why they make their cruises more fun and exciting with various activities. These activities can include zip lines, waterslides, rock wall climbing, and many others. Oftentimes, these adventurous activities lead to injuries which is why cruise lines ask their passengers to sign the Assumption of Risk form, which may release them from liability in case of an injury. 

However, only a personal injury attorney with experience in cruise ship accidents, like the ones from EhLine Law, can tell you whether or not signing the Assumption of risk form can impact your injury claim. 

Pay attention to what you say 

If you’ve been injured on board but your condition doesn’t require immediate evacuation, the cruise ship will continue its course. This means that you’ll likely assist the investigation made by the cruise line and the employees on the ship. 

Make sure that during the investigation, you don’t make any statement that may impact your injury claim later, such as “oh, it was my own fault for being careless” or “my injury isn’t that serious”. Such statements can come back to haunt you if you decide to make an injury claim.