TRIPPING OVER A CHAIR ON CRUISE SHIP
It sounds very simple. Chairs are lined are mostly lounge chairs, the long ones that passengers can layout on them. The chairs are put in place by the workers on the cruise ship for use by the passengers. The problem is that with the track encircling the perimeter of the sun deck the cruise line’s lounge chairs extend over and onto the track on certain cruise ships. This is especially true up around the perimeter of the walking/exercise track on the sun deck of the cruise ship. These on the straightaways of the walking track where there is just not a lot of room for a lounge chair to fit on the outside perimeter of the track and not stick out over the track itself. But that is what happens.
Passengers get out in the bright sunshine and walk the track where these lounge chairs are located around the perimeter of the track. The legs of the chairs stick out onto the track and create a tripping hazard. Also, some passengers move the chairs around when they use them and those lounge chairs end up sticking out into the track. Additionally, many of these lounge chairs have legs which stick outward from under the chair and extend outward well beyond the seating area of the chair. This can create a perception where the chair seating surface itself appears to be just off the track but the chair leg(s) protrude onto the walking track.
Many passengers have been tripped and have fallen as a result of the presence of these chairs sticking out into the walking path. We know because we have represented many of them against the cruise lines here at www.888BoatLaw.com. These injuries are often very serious because the event is sudden, unexpected and results in a hard impact with the deck. Passengers naturally expect the cruise ship’s designated exercise/walking path to be free of tripping hazards; however, the truth is that on many of these exercise tracks the chairs are sticking out onto the track and are serious tripping hazards.
In our www.888BoatLaw.com maritime law firm we have litigated many of these chair tripping cases. We have seen and obtained video from such falls and they are sometimes very violent. This is due to the unexpected nature of tripping at a place where it is understood the cruise line is saying it is safe to walk on this path. Many times that is not the case and the passenger trips on a chair or protruding chair leg. We have seen this lead to broken hips, broken pelvis, broken limbs, shoulder injuries, facial injuries, and back injuries, etc.
If you have been injured on a cruise ship because of a chair or table placed in the walkway–or the walkway not being kept clear of tripping hazards–contact us at www.888BoatLaw.com right away. Don’t wait! If there is video of your incident it will not be preserved for very long. You can be confident in our 25 years of successfully representing only passengers like you, and never the cruise lines. Remember that the statute of limitation is short and that cruise ship injuries are governed by maritime law, so make sure you choose a law firm that practices in this specialized area of law every day. That is us, the cruise ship attorneys at www.888BoatLaw.com. There is never a charge to you unless we win your case.
Call us at 888-B-O-A-T-L-A-W. (888-262-8529)
