CRUISE SHIPS AND PASSENGER DISAPPEARANCES
THE ACCIDENT ATTORNEYS OF MADALON LAW INVESTIGATE CRUISE PASSENGER DISAPPEARANCES
Our accident attorneys handle cases including Carnival Cruise accidents, Norwegian Cruise accidents, Royal Caribbean accidents and more.
OUR ACCIDENT LAWYERS HOLD THE CRUISE LINES RESPONSIBLE
One does not often hear of about disappearance of crew members and passengers on ships. These disappearances happen more frequently than we think. Cruise lines often do not report persons as “missing” or “presumed dead”, as they can assume that the employee or passenger left the ship and chose not to return, on their own accord, and found another method of returning home. It does not appear that cruise lines maintain statistics about missing persons and, if they do, they are not made known to the public. In cases where a person goes overboard, the cruise line will most often assert that it must have been a case of suicide and do not often consider foul play or an accidental fall.
It is not easy to obtain information about missing persons from government entities. In the case of most cruises, this would involve the cooperation of multiple foreign governments. Additionally, many cruise vessels are registered to foreign countries. They fly the flags of these countries because they can be laxer and involve less regulation than the United States. Our attorneys at Madalon Law are experienced in dealing with the issues involved in obtaining information from foreign countries regarding these types of cases.
REGISTERING THE REALITY
The Cruise Lines International Association stated that 90% of all commercial vessels flying under flags of countries other than the United States. The most popular countries of registry include Malta, the Netherlands, Italy, Panama, Bermuda, and the Bahamas.
When a crew member or passenger disappears from a cruise ship, the cruise line must send a report to the country of their registry. It is often very difficult to obtain information about an investigation from a foreign. In these instances, it can often be more beneficial to consult a lawyer who is knowledgeable about the cruise ship industry to assist with obtaining information.
MAN OVERBOARD STATISTICS
Only a handful of persons, crew members or passengers are reported to fall overboard each year. Here are some statistics regarding those who fall overboard:
· The longest a person was known to survive in the water after having fallen overboard is 18 hours.
· Falling overboard is most commonly happens the last night of a cruise.
· Those who fall overboard are most often residents of California and Florida.
· Most overboard falls are most often a result of drinking or mischief, such as playing on railings or attempting to climb between cabins.
· Women are less likely than men to fall overboard.
· Only about 1 in 5 persons have survived falling overboard between the years 2000 and 2013.
· The average age of a person who falls overboard is 41 years old.
A SEARCH AND RESCUE IS REQUIRED FOR MISSING PERSONS AT SEA
If a disappearance occurs, the vessel must conduct a reasonable search immediately. They will return to the person’s last known location at sea. They will adjustment for current, sea conditions, and current. If the person is not found quickly, then a search and rescue mission will be conducted.
If you know someone who has disappeared while on a cruise ship, contact one of our experienced lawyers at Madalon law for a consultation today.
CONTACT A CRUISE SHIP ACCIDENT ATTORNEY
The cruise ship accident attorneys of Madalon Law are based out of Fort Lauderdale, Florida and have several locations to handle maritime accident cases in Florida, Mississippi Texas and Alabama.