Your Travel Injury Lawyers

Your Christian Law Firm, Dean Burnetti Law represents Personal Injury Victims in Polk County, including: Lakeland, Auburndale, Bartow, Haines City, Lake Wales, Mulberry, Polk City, and Winter Haven; in Hillsborough County, including: Brandon, Tampa, and Plant City; in Pinellas County, including Clearwater, St. Pete, Gulfport, Treasure Island, Largo, Oldsmar; and all of the surrounding Greater Central Florida and West Central Florida Areas.

Jeremiah 33:6 - “Nevertheless, I will bring health and healing to it; I will heal my people and will let them enjoy abundant peace and security.”

Destination: Anywhere, here we come!  After months, maybe years of working hard, cutting corners, and dreaming of the day you and your family can take that magical once-in-a-lifetime vacation, you’re anxious to dip your toes in the [ocean | sand | snow], to relax and lie back on the [beach | massage table | grass], to take a walk [down Hollywood Boulevard | along the River Seine | along the shoreline in Waikiki], to sleep [under the stars in Big Sky Country | in a Nantucket bed and breakfast | in a balconied Suite aboard a luxury cruise ship], to climb [down the Grand Canyon | up Mount Kilimanjaro |  across the Canopy Walkway in Peru], to romp [in the Pacific Ocean with dolphins | across the Serengeti with zebras | over an Arctic Iceberg with penguins], or to have your photo taken with [Mickey Mouse | a Palace Guard at Windsor Castle | Ernest Hemmingway’s 6-toed cats].  You may be headed to Paris, France or Paris, Texas.  You might see a cross country flight to the Magic Kingdom in your future with your spouse and all the kids, or you might envision a romantic Caribbean cruise with only you and your sweetheart as the perfect way to unwind.

Whatever the setting is, everything will be perfect – until someone gets hurt.  Accidents and injuries can happen anywhere, and cruise ships and airplanes are no exception. 

Although serious travel disasters are uncommon, they do happen.  But more often than the extreme scenario of a plane crash or sinking ship, passengers are injured by:

• Slip and fall accidents (either onboard the craft or vessel or on the boarding/disembarking walkway or ramp)
• Turbulence
• Bad weather
• Luggage falling from overhead compartments
• Collisions with beverage carts
• Falls caused by wrinkled or damaged carpeting
• Falls caused by wet or slippery surfaces on non-carpeted walkways
• Falls down stairs
• Falls when the vessel or craft tips unexpectedly
• Burns from drinking or spilling overheated beverages
• Human error
• Engine failure
• Fatigue of the pilot or captain
• Food poisoning
• Norovirus outbreaks
• Legionnaire’s disease
• Aerotoxic syndrome
• Ebola and other airborne viruses known to reproduce in enclosed spaces
• Viruses caused by poor sterilization or sanitation
• Poolside accidents, including drowning
• Broken gym equipment
• Sexual assault by a crew member or another passenger
• Battery by a crew member, security staff, or another passenger
• Other hate crimes perpetuated by a crew member, security staff, or another passenger
• Craft or vessel design defects
• Poor craft or vessel maintenance
• Staff negligence during medical emergencies
• Medical malpractice by the ship’s doctor

Airlines and cruise lines, alike, owe a duty of care to protect their passengers from harm.  Commercial airline companies and commercial cruise ship lines are legally classified as “common carriers” because they offer transportation services to the public. In the event of an accident or passenger injury, common carriers are held to a more stringent standard of care than that of private carriers.

Common carriers are also governed by regulatory bodies that set standards of safety within each mode of transportation.  For example, when a passenger is injured or killed on a cruise ship, that action falls under General Maritime Law.  And the Federal Aviation Administration is the governing body for commercial airlines.

If a United States resident was injured or killed on an international flight, the Montreal Convention allows them to file a lawsuit in the United States regardless of where the injury occurred.

Cruise ship tickets often contain a “forum selection clause” meaning that if you wish to bring a lawsuit against the cruise line, you must file it in the state where the cruise line is located. Your ticket will likely also instruct you to notify the cruise line’s home office of any injury or illness to attribute to your voyage within a certain amount of time.

Both maritime and aviation litigation can be quite complex.  If you or a loved one was injured on a cruise ship or commercial airplane, you should seek an attorney with a good understanding of state, federal, and possibly international law.

To conclude, if you happened to have been injured while traveling for business purposes, you may be entitled to Workers' Compensation benefits in addition to pursuing a civil claim for your injury.

Proverbs 16:9 - “A man’s heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.”

Call (863) 287-6388 in Polk County or (813) 287-6388 in Hillsborough County and Pinellas County today to schedule a free confidential consultation with an attorney at Your Christian Law Firm, Dean Burnetti Law.