Many people planning a vacation decide to take a cruise, and while cruises can be a truly memorable and exciting getaway, they always pose serious risks that many people aren’t aware of. For example, it is frighteningly common for cruise ship passengers to come down with serious illnesses, ruining their trip and sometimes leaving long lasting effects depending on the illness.

If you’ve gotten sick while on a cruise ship, then one of the issues at the forefront of your mind might be what your legal options are. Learn more the possibility of filing a personal injury suit after a cruise ship illness and find out how an injury lawyer can make your case easier.

Cruise Ship Illnesses and Why They’re Hard to Prove

The reason that it’s so easy to get sick while on a cruise ship is because of the closed environment which allows the easy passage of germs on surfaces and between passengers. However, it is this easy transmission that also makes it extremely difficult to prove fault or negligence after a cruise ship illness.

Certain illnesses, such as the stomach flu, transmit so quickly that there is no way to detect its starting point or if anyone was culpable in bringing the disease onto the ship. On the other hand, other common cruise ship ailments like Legionnaire’s Disease and food poisoning will almost always result from negligent actions.

Keep Your Eyes and Ears Open for Signs of Fault

Due to the nature of cruise ship and cruise ship illnesses, many passengers fail to collect the evidence that they need to prove their personal injury suit. If you get sick while on your cruise, look out for a few indicators that the cruise ship staff knew about or took part in the conditions that led to your illness.

First, start interviewing the other passengers of the cruise ship to see if they’ve also gotten sick. If you find multiple ill passengers, then it usually means there has been an outbreak, which can be a sign of negligence. Secondly, try to see if the cruise ship staff is acting any different than normal. Increased cleaning, especially in the dining areas, might let you know that the cruise ship staff was aware of a food poisoning incident and is covering their tracks.

If you’re unsure about the type of evidence you’ll need in your case, you should bring your questions to an experienced injury lawyer.

Don’t Delay Filing Your Case

After a cruise that ends in an illness, many passengers are more focused on moving on from their ailment than they are filing a lawsuit. While this impulse is understandable, it may mean that you completely miss out on your chance for reimbursement.

Personal injury suits, even those involving cruise ships, usually have a statute of limitations of two to six years. When this time period runs out, you will no longer be able to file a suit or receive the compensation you deserve. To both stay within the statute of limitations and to prove the seriousness of your case, make sure to file your suit as soon as you can after your illness.

Always Be Sure to Consult an Injury Lawyer

If you’ve been robbed of your dream vacation due to an unforeseen illness, you may be entitled to file a lawsuit against the person or persons that caused your sickness. To learn more about your legal options following a cruise ship injury, bring your questions to an injury lawyer from the Parrish DeVaughn Law Firm. The injury lawyers at Parrish DeVaughn will examine the facts of your case and advise you on the best way to file your case. Contact us today.