At Cowen Edwards, we stand up for any victim of sexual assault on a cruise ship operating out of Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale or out of Miami. Cruise ship companies are supposed to fully protect their passengers at all times. And it’s especially tragic when criminal acts could have been prevented if adequate security had been in place.
Cruise lines that are guilty of “negligent security” should be held fully accountable. If you have been a victim, please contact our lawyers for a free, confidential consultation on how to seek justice and support.
Do I Need a Lawyer After a Sexual Assault on a Florida Cruise Ship?
After a rape or sexual assault occurs, victims will need support as they begin healing and rebuild their lives. Unfortunately, cruise ship companies don’t always take these terrible incidents seriously enough. They are also owned by massive companies that can afford teams of lawyers to help them escape blame for criminal acts on their boats.
Victims can benefit from having a Fort Lauderdale Sexual Assault Lawyer who is not afraid to stand up to cruise ship owners and demand justice.
A skilled attorney can seek justice and full financial support for clients while giving victims time to focus on healing. What’s more, Cowen Edwards Trial Lawyers can often get much more for victims through a civil claim than they could secure for themselves.
Sexual Assault Dangers Aboard a Cruise Ship
Cruise Ship Lines will gladly take your reservations and your money and will usually show you a good time on the open sea. However, they have a responsibility to customers that goes beyond just ringing up a credit card.
Under Florida law, Cruise Ships and their corporate owners are required to take every step possible to keep passengers safe. That means safety in their rooms, in restaurants and lounges, and while on excursions. Protections from physical and sexual assaults must be part of the security that guests can trust in.
But cruise ship owners and operators can focus on profits and, at times, let safety precautions slip, allowing victims to be hurt.
These are a few of the lapses in security that can pave the way for crimes such as physical and sexual assaults on cruise ships:
- Too few security employees
- Security officers with too little training
- A lack of security cameras or malfunctioning cameras
- Areas that lack proper lighting
- Door locks that don’t work
- Failure to warn customers of previous assaults on the premises
- The hiring of employees who have a violent criminal record
- Failed security and background checks for tour groups and excursion providers
- Allowing guests onboard who have violent criminal records
- Bartenders who don’t protect guests from having drinks spiked
- Failure to monitor drunk passengers
A skilled Fort Lauderdale Negligent Security Lawyer would fully investigate and collect evidence of these lapses and more. That evidence will be key when a business or company tries to blame a victim or someone else for what happened.
Does Someone Have to Be Arrested for Me to File a Cruise Ship Sexual Assault Claim?
No. Victims of sexual assault and their families can file a sexual assault injury claim against a cruise ship company even if a suspect isn’t identified or is never charged. This would be a civil claim that can be filed at any time, no matter what stage an investigation or criminal trial reaches. A sexual assault or rape suspect may still be facing a trial, but victims can seek justice and support from a cruise ship line.
The civil claim against an at-fault business or property owner can be filed and settled at any time, even if the criminal trial has yet to get underway or is ongoing. The verdict in a criminal trial doesn’t necessarily affect the outcome of a civil trial.
Your attorney would first file a claim with the cruise ship’s corporate owners and seek to negotiate a settlement with the defendant. If the owner’s insurance company and lawyers refused to accept full responsibility for the assault, your lawyer would be ready to file a lawsuit and take the negligent party to court.
Cruise ship businesses usually want to avoid going before a judge and jury. They want to avoid the cost of a trial and the bad publicity. When you have an attorney handling your case, your lawyer represents the threat of a trial. The presence of a lawyer can make insurers more likely to offer the maximum in support in a settlement.
Earning Support for Sexual Assault Victims Hurt On Cruise Ships
Cruise ship sex assault victims will need full financial support as they attempt to rebuild their lives. That support may be needed now and in the months and years ahead. Victims should get the best care available and not have to worry about the cost.
Cowen Edwards would demand these benefits and more on behalf of victims:
- Support for all medical bills related to physical injuries, medications, and rehabilitation for as long as necessary
- Support for the physical pain experienced by victims
- Support for the emotional trauma caused by a sexual assault, such as depression, anxiety, PTSD symptoms, and the loss of enjoyment of life
- Money to pay for counseling and, in some cases, trauma-focused cognitive–behavioral therapy
- Reimbursement for the lost income victims face while being unable to work
When cruise ship companies display gross negligence (negligence so careless that it almost rises to the level of intentional harm), a court might also award punitive damages to punish a corporation.
This penalty is meant to deter similar lapses in security in the future. The punishment isn’t assigned to benefit the patient, but the financial penalty is awarded to the sexual assault victim. This can mean a substantial addition to the settlement check the victim receives for recovery.
Dedicated Fort Lauderdale Cruise Ship Sexual Assault Lawyers
After a frightening attack, victims will have enough to deal with as they seek to heal. When the negligent security of a cruise ship or another business contributed to a sexual assault, victims should never have to worry about financial concerns while in recovery.
At Cowen Edwards, we go to work to earn justice for clients while causing as little disruption to victims and their families as possible. We want to make sure the victims of crime have everything they require to begin to recover physically, emotionally, and financially.
When you’re hurt in a sexual assault incident on a cruise sailing out of Fort Lauderdale or any other Florida port, we’ll be there to stand up for your rights and hold those responsible fully accountable. Don’t wait–contact us today to set up your free, confidential consultation.
