Last week, a young passenger nearly drowned on Royal Caribbean’s Independence of the Seas. At last update, the boy was in serious condition in a hospital in France. The incident occurred off the coast of France as the ship was sailing between Southampton, England and Spain. 
He was rescued by adult passengers before the ship’s medical team arrived. It quickly became apparent that the boy would require more treatment. He was eventually picked up by a medical helicopter.
Should Cruise Ships Have Lifeguards on Duty?
The big question facing the cruise ship industry (after this accident and many other recent ones) is – “should cruise lines maintain lifeguards on their ships to manage the pools and the passengers who use them?”
Does NOT HAVING a lifeguard on duty open the cruise line up to potential lawsuits?
Perhaps. Cruise ships that don’t have lifeguards post warning signs to their passengers to swim at their own risk. But is that enough? Will a cruise line eventually be held liable for a swimming pool injury or drowning? Will the potential of incurring a lawsuit force their hand to begin employing lifeguards.
Passenger safety on cruise ships
At Waks and Barnett, P.A. we’ve been asking questions just like this one for more than 2 decades. Cruise ship safety is a key concern for our law firm as is helping to establish passenger rights.
The question is – can the cruise ship environment be safer for children, adults and older passengers?
We’ve worked with passengers who were injured in and around pools, slides, hot tubs and other water features on cruise ships. We’ve helped hundreds of injured passengers understand what their legal options are and how to get started with legal action if necessary.
If you have questions regarding an injury that may have occurred on a cruise ship or cruise vacation, our lawyers can help provide answers. Calls to our office are free and require no obligation. We’re here to help guide injured and hurt passengers in better understanding their rights.
If you have concerns or questions regarding a Royal Caribbean cruise ship accident, please contact our law firm today today.
To contact our office, please call 1-800-905-2891 or email at waksbar@aol.com. You can also fill out a Quick Contact Form here.