Determining Liability for Cruise Shuttle Accidents
If you’re planning to take a cruise out of Port Canaveral, your transportation to the cruise port includes driving to the port, flying to Orlando Melbourne International (MLB) or flying to Orlando International Airport (MCO). Upon arrival to the airport, most people take a shuttle to the cruise port. Cruisers can book the shuttle through a private shuttle service, or they can book the shuttle through the cruise line. Cruisers may even book the shuttle through a hotel if they’re already in the Orlando area. In either case, what happens if you find yourself in a cruise shuttle accident? Do you know who is responsible?
Riding Shuttles Comes with Risks
While cruise lines, hotels, airports and other establishments use shuttles to make traveling easier for cruisers, shuttles come with risks. Most times, when cruisers book shuttles through cruise lines, a shuttle bus will be used to transport cruisers. If the cruiser books a shuttle through a private shuttle service provider, the transportation will come in the form of a passenger van.
Shuttle buses are more likely to be involved in accidents due to their size. The driver of the shuttle bus must exercise a higher level of caution. If you’re involved in a cruise shuttle bus accident, you should contact a knowledgeable attorney to help you hold the at-fault party responsible for your injuries, either through an insurance claim or personal injury lawsuit.
Determining Who to Sue is Not Always Clear
It’s not always easy to determine who you should sue. This is where the expertise of a personal injury attorney comes into play. The accident could occur for these reasons:
- Negligence of another vehicle
- An error of the shuttle driver
- Mechanical failure of the shuttle
Regardless of who is at fault, you should not have to pay out of pocket for your injuries. Either the driver of the vehicle or the shuttle driver and the employer of the shuttle driver is responsible and will bear the costs of the damages.
Beware of the Cruise Line’s Tactic to Skip Out on Liability
Keep in mind that the cruise line may be held liable for the accident as well. Since the shuttle service company is a third-party vendor of the cruise line, the cruise line may be responsible for the injuries the shuttle causes. The cruise line has the responsibility of vetting the shuttle service company before making the company a cruise line vendor.
An attorney with a great deal of experience in this area is always ready to handle the cruise line’s attempts to claim no responsibility for the accident because the cruise line considers the shuttle service an independent contractor.
If You Receive Injuries due to a Cruise Shuttle Accident near Orlando, Contact Israoui Law
Contact the Orlando personal injury attorneys at Israoui Law for help with your cruise shuttle accident case as soon as possible. We dedicate our time to represent the victim and will make sure you get the compensation you deserve for the damages the negligent party causes. For a free case consultation, call 407-381-4529. At Israoui Law, personal attention matters.
Resource:
nbcnews.com/news/us-news/four-carnival-cruise-passengers-airlifted-florida-after-bahamas-bus-crash-n1021286
