Jury Awards $21.5 Million to a Man Injured in Cruise Ship Incident

Yesterday, a jury in Seattle awarded a man $21.5 million in damages for a mild brain injury he suffered when an automatic sliding glass door hit him in the side of the face. The man was enjoying a family vacation on a cruise when the accident occurred. There is a surveillance video showing the moment when guests are exiting to the pool area and the sliding doors unexpectedly close hitting this man’s face. Doctors gave a diagnosis of mild traumatic brain injury and post concussive syndrome.

However, one of the main arguments against the cruise line was the fact that there were more than a dozen other incidents involving these defective doors in the three years leading up to this incident. The cruise line did not take appropriate measure to replace the sliding doors, nor did they attempt to fix them, so the man’s attorney was able to prove that the cruise line was negligent and completely responsible for the plaintiff’s injuries.

One interesting fact you might not know about lawsuits against cruise lines is that the time limit to file a lawsuit is very short when compared to other personal injury cases. For regular personal injury cases, such as car accidents and slip and fall accidents, the time limit is four years. For medical malpractice, the limit is two years, but for lawsuits against cruise lines, the time limit is just ONE year. When you buy your trip and you get your boarding ticket that is your contract with the cruise line, which among other things states you only have one year to file a lawsuit for injuries sustained on board the ship.

The law is complicated, and handling personal injury claims and lawsuits require specific knowledge and skills that our team can guarantee. You need an experienced attorney to represent you in order to make sure your rights are fully protected. If you have been injured in an accident do not hesitate to contact our office for a free consultation at (813) 774-3341. We will be honored to represent you.