A recent string of accidents has occurred aboard Carnival cruise ships. On October 23, a 52-year-old woman on board the Carnival Sensation fell in an elevator and broke both of her legs. The Coast Guard Air Station Miami hoisted the woman off the ship via helicopter and took her to a nearby medical center. At the time of this report, Carnival has not released a statement on the incident.

On October 20, a Carnival crewmember was working on the outside of the Carnival Conquest in a New Orleans port on a man lift. The crewmember was killed when he became wedged between the lift and a platform that held a lifeboat. Carnival released a statement saying that their ship’s medical team responded appropriately to the incident, in addition to local paramedics, but the crewmember did not survive. The U.S. Coast Guard is still investigating the accident.

A six-year-old boy died on board the Carnival Victory on October 14 when he drowned in a midship pool. According to a spokesperson for Carnival, this was the first incident of a child drowning aboard one of their cruise ships. Investigators told CBS News that the young boy was in a pool with his cousin when he drown and that other passengers pulled the boy from the water and performed CPR, but the child was pronounced dead at the scene. Cruise ships are not required to provide lifeguards on duty at their pools, though there has always been a great debate over whether the cruise line or families are responsible for monitoring swimming passengers.

Cruise ship injuries for both passengers and crewmembers can be severe and lead to lifelong injuries or even death. When injuries occur on cruise ships that are registered outside the U.S., it is important to have an experienced, educated maritime trial lawyer by your side to navigate complex international laws. The attorneys at Latti & Anderson LLP have been representing those injured on land or at sea for over 50 years. If you have been injured working or traveling on a cruise ship, contact our nationwide maritime attorneys today at (800) 392-6072 to discuss your options.

Latti & Anderson’s Little Extra: According to Cruise Market Watch, over 19 million passengers traveled on cruise ships worldwide in 2011.

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