Nothing says vacation like a long cruise filled with dancing, drinking and all-you-can-eat buffets. Most people do not board cruise ships with the expectation that they will be injured or killed. However, this happens more frequently than we realize. Since 2005, 448 major cruise ship accidents were reported, according to the World Maritime News. Of those 448 accidents, 66 of those ships ran aground, 79 have crashed into other vessels, and more than 15 have sunk, according to this same study.
With these types of numbers, it’s natural to wonder what duties cruise lines owe to their passengers.
As California weather becomes more favorable to recreational and commercial boaters alike, more and more mariners are returning to the water this month. Unfortunately, not every day on the water turns out as we expect it and fatal accidents occur. Boating accidents can occur when we least expect them, even in the best weather conditions.
The final bell tolled for a 64-year-old fisherman this past week when his 10’ fishing boat capsized near Muir Beach in the San Francisco Bay. A fellow boater made a call to the Coast Guard reporting a capsized fiberglass boat at 11:30 am.
Who is liable for sea accidents?
An experienced diver from Tustin, California set off on the charter diving trip on the Sundiver Express. It was nearly her 1,000th dive, but it turned out to be her last. Now, the family members of the diver lost at sea have filed suit against the Sundiver and the captain who it believes acted negligently that day in failing to add the diver to the passenger roster. Our Los Angeles boat and cruise ship accident attorneys discuss this troubling case and issues of liability surrounding accidents at sea.
What can you do to protect yourself from boating accidents?
Sailing on San Francisco bay can be exhilarating. As afternoon approaches, winds steadily increase, making it a fun and exciting place for adventure-seeking family and friends. However, without following strict Coast Guard guidelines, boating on the bay can quickly become life threatening.
A group of boaters learned this lesson the hard way recently, when their 34’ Silverton cabin cruiser capsized and sank, leaving 30 people in the water.
When embarking on a fun boating trip, one does not usually anticipate the boat tipping over and being thrown overboard. Three males, age sixty-four, sixty-two, and forty-seven, were recently identified by the Coroner’s Office. They died when their boat overturned on the coast of Santa Catalina Island, in California.
More specifically, the boat tipped over “near Salta Verde Point on the backside of the island.” Seven individuals in total were aboard the boat. The vessel was approximately twenty feet in size. Four individuals were rescued, two of which were seriously hurt.
