Cruise Ship Accident Claims Guide

By Jo Anderson. Last Updated 10th November 2023. Being involved in a cruise ship accident can be deeply traumatic, let alone damaging to your physical health. What some people may not be aware of is that it’s possible to claim compensation for any injuries or illnesses suffered aboard cruise ships.

In this guide, we’ll also take a look at what to do if you work on cruise ships and suffer an injury or illness.

Although accidents on board a cruise ship are quite rare, they do happen from time to time. This guide is aimed at people who believe they have a valid reason to make personal injury claims based on an injury caused by an accident on a cruise ship.

The kind of accidents you can claim for is not restricted to those that happen while on the ship. You can also make cruise ship compensation claims for accidents that happen in port or whilst on shore-based excursions if you can prove the cruise line caused the accident and is liable to pay damages after cruise ship holidays.

If you would rather skip reading this guide and move straight on to start a claim if you suffer an accident, then call Accident Claims UK on 0800 073 8801 now, and we can explain to you how we can help you get the compensation you deserve.

We could provide you with specialist solicitors that are authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority to assist with claims for an accident at sea and other ship holiday accidents.

Cruise ship compensation claims ship accident claim

Cruise ship compensation claims

Select a Section:

  1. When Could I Make A Cruise Ship Accident Claim?
  2. Examples Of Common Accidents, Injuries, And Illnesses On Cruise Ships
  3. What Should You Do After A Cruise Ship Injury Or Illness?
  4. Examples Of Payouts In Cruise Ship Compensation Claims
  5. No Win No Fee Compensation Claims On Cruise Ships
  6. Useful Links Relating To A Cruise Ship Accident Claim

When Could I Make A Cruise Ship Accident Claim?

All cruise ship operators owe passengers and staff a duty of care. Under the Athens Convention 2002, they must take steps to ensure the reasonable safety of passengers aboard the vessel. However, it is important to note that this convention kicks in once the vessel is two miles out into the ocean.

Examples of steps they could take to ensure your safety and prevent a cruise ship accident could include:

  • Ensuring decks were cleared of spillage to prevent slips, trips, and falls.
  • Making sure that handrails were fixed properly and repaired quickly or cordoned off if they were broken.
  • Ensuring adequate lighting within the cruise ship so that people can see where they are going.
  • Making sure that food is handled and cooked appropriately and does not cause food poisoning.

These are just a few examples. Should the cruise ship operator breach their duty of care towards you and cause you injuries as a result, you could be eligible to claim compensation.

Please call an advisor if you would like to discuss cruise ship compensation claims in more detail. They could check whether you are eligible to make a claim.

Examples Of Accidents, Injuries, And Illnesses On Cruise Ships

If you suffer illness onboard a cruise ship or are injured in an accident that was not your fault, you could be eligible to claim compensation. Your compensation payout could include damages for your pain and suffering, as well as covering any costs you incurred due to your illness or injury.

Although there are many ways that accidents can happen on a cruise ship, which may lead to a person needing a personal injury lawyer to help them make cruise ship compensation claims, some causes are much more common than others, such as:

  • Slips, trips and falls – these are the single most common type of accident that a personal injury solicitor has to deal with. Being on a moving, rolling ship only makes it more likely you might slip, trip or fall. You could also be hit by falling objects.
  • Sporting accidents – most cruise liners offer a full range of sporting activities, including swimming, tennis, badminton, volleyball, etc. This means that there is a risk that passengers may be injured while playing these sports.
  • Food-related illnesses – many cruise lines operate a buffet breakfast or lunch. This means that food might be left out too long, leading to a food-related illness, such as food poisoning.
  • Faulty equipment and fittings – such as receiving an electric shock from a faulty light fitting in your cabin or being injured by a piece of ships equipment that has not been secured during high seas.

Although these are the most common causes of accidents on a cruise ship, there are many more which may result in cruise ship injury claims. If your own accident doesn’t fit into this list, call Accident Claims UK at the number at the bottom of this page, and we will tell you whether we believe you can claim personal injury compensation for your injury.

What Should You Do After A Cruise Ship Injury Or Illness?

If you’ve suffered an injury caused by a cruise ship accident, here’s what to do to help give yourself the best chance of winning any cruise ship injury settlements you are pursuing. Steps to help you with cruise ship compensation claims include:

  • Gather evidence – such as photographs and video that show the cause of the accident. For example, if you tripped on some faulty decking, make sure you take a photo of it.
  • Gather witness contact details – if there were any witnesses to your accident, gather their names and addresses so that they can be called on at a later stage if needed.
  • Get proper medical attention – if the accident happens overseas and you have to visit the hospital for treatment, get the names of the doctors who treated you and ask for a copy of your medical file when you are discharged.
  • Document financial losses – if you’ve faced any losses due to your injuries, such as medical fees, transport costs or loss of earnings, document them so that you can prove these losses.

Contact Accident Claims UK on the number at the bottom of this page to begin your cruise ship injury claims if you’ve already taken the steps above.

Examples Of Payouts In Cruise Ship Compensation Claims

The Athens Convention 2002 allows you to claim for personal injury sustained onboard a vessel that resulted from negligence. Additionally, if you booked a cruise ship holiday through a UK package holiday company, The Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018 may apply. 

In these instances, you could make cruise ship compensation claims against the UK package holiday company. 

The value of injuries sustained on cruise ship accidents as a result of negligence, may vary based on certain factors. All successful claimants will receive general damages, which covers your injuries and the pain and suffering they cause. 

When legal professionals are calculating general damages in England and Wales, they use resources such as the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG). This is a publication (last updated in 2022) that contains bracket compensation amounts associated with various injuries. These amounts have been based on past court cases.

The table below shows some of the figures listed in the JCG. However, in order to get a bespoke valuation of your specific claim, you’ll need to have it assessed on an individual basis. Get in touch with our advisors today to do just that.

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Body Part Severity Compensation Bracket Notes
Neck Severe (a) (i) Up to somewhere in the region of £148,330 Neck injuries that involve spastic quadriparesis or incomplete paraplegia.
Leg amputation Below knee (a) (iv) £97,980 to £132,990 Below knee amputation of one leg.
Leg Severe (b) (i) £96,250 to £135,920 The most serious injuries short of amputation.
Arm amputation Below elbow (b) (iii) £96,160 to £109,650 Below elbow amputation of one arm.
Back Severe (a) (i) £91,090 to £160,980 Involving spinal cord or nerve root damage.
Foot Very Severe (c) £83,960 to £109,650 Could include amputation of the forefoot, injuries that cause permanent disability.
Ankle Very Severe (a) £50,060 to £69,700 Could involve transmelleolar fractures causing long term pain and permanent deformity.
Elbow Severely disabling (a) £39,170 to £54,830 A severely disabling injury to the elbow.
Thumb Very Serious (s) £19,600 to £35,010 For example, where the digit has been severed but redrafted with deformity and pain.

You might also be eligible for special damages, which covers the financial losses you incur as a result of your injuries. Under this heading, you could potentially recoup the cost of lost earnings, prescription costs, mobility aids, and travel.

Please note, this table only includes physical injuries. It does not cover illness or show amounts for, as an example, compensation for food poisoning on a cruise ship. Call Accident Claims UK to get a more accurate estimate of what you can expect to receive for your cruise ship compensation claims.

No Win No Fee Compensation Claims On Cruise Ships

If you’re eligible to claim for a cruise ship accident, a solicitor could assist you. Some people may prefer to use a solicitor for their claim because they want assistance gathering evidence, or negotiating an appropriate settlement.

One of our solicitors could offer to work on your case under a type of No Win No Fee arrangement known as a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA). Under this arrangement, you won’t have to pay any upfront or ongoing service fees. Should your claim fail, you won’t have to pay them for the work they have provided.

Instead, under a CFA, they would deduct a legally capped success fee from your payout if your claim results in compensation.

To ask further questions about claiming for cruise ship accidents with one of our solicitors, or to check your eligibility to claim, you can contact an advisor.

Useful Links Relating To A Cruise Ship Accident Claim

Thank you for reading our guide to cruise ship accident claims. We hope you have learned a lot about cruise ship injury claims. But please get in touch if any questions about cruise ship compensation claims come to mind. We could help with a ship accident claim or any type of holiday claim.