Florida woman suffers fatal injuries after fall on cruise ship

In light of the massive cruise ship accident off the coast of Italy last month, the entire cruise ship industry has come under much scrutiny. While the Costa Concordia accident has been a truly devastating and tragic event, cruise ships continue to sail all around Florida and people continue to be injured or worse on the ships.

Since all the reported negligence around the devastating ship accident in Italy, people have been much more aware of the dangerous situations that have always been present on cruise ships. News outlets are focusing on the unique hazards that can occur offshore. This focused awareness is encouraging, as it may urge cruise ship companies to operate safer vessels.

Accidents still happen, though. While they may be considered accidents, however, that does not mean there is no one at fault. After a woman slipped down the stairs on a cruise ship and died, investigations are underway to determine what happened.

Reports say that the 47-year-old woman was leaving a nightclub onboard the ship when she slipped down some of the ship’s steps for some reason and hit her head. She was brought to the infirmary on the vessel where she was later pronounced dead.

The FBI was notified, and two separate divisions of the Sheriff’s office responded to the boat when it docked back in Fort Lauderdale. While investigators do not suspect foul play, the woman likely did not have to die on that cruise ship. Whether or not there were ways that the company could have prevented her death remains to be seen.

Safety precautions that need to be taken while on a ship can vary from those that are required on land. When these safety measures fail or are not properly executed, legal action can be taken.

Source: Taunton Daily Gazette, “Middleboro woman dies after fall on cruise ship,” Jan. 30, 2012