Thanks to new legislation, potential passengers on the world's largest cruise lines will now be able to research how many alleged crimes were reported to cruise operators. Cruise industry leaders announced the move to release more information on July 24, 2013 during a hearing before the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, only one day after lawmakers in the House and Senate introduced new legislation requiring the information to be made available to the public.
Adam Goldstein, president and CEO of Royal Caribbean International, said "In the spirit of transparency, the three largest cruise companies making up over 85% of the cruise industry have voluntarily agreed to expand that reporting."
The largest cruise companies, all based in Miami, including Royal Caribbean Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line and Carnival Corp., will all begin posting allegations, regardless of the status of the investigation, in all categories required under the 2010 Cruise Vessel Security and Safety Act. These categories include sexual assault, theft over $10,000, tampering with the vessel, serious assaults, kidnapping, missing U.S. nationals and suspicious deaths or homicide.
According to Miami personal injury attorney, this is a major step forward for the credibility of cruise lines and helps consumers make an informed decision when choosing a cruise line for a trip.
He has always had a passion for representing people who have been seriously hurt due to negligence, and he has had a front row view of numerous cruise ship catastrophes. He was won several cases regarding cruise negligence, including one in which a passenger was struck by a mishandled mooring line that snapped and crashed through a window, causing injuries the cruise line denied. His experience representing seriously hurt vacationers in South Florida has earned him a spot as a Top 100 Florida SuperLawyer for many years in a row.
The hearing in late July, which focused on consumer protection, followed a long year for cruise lines that has been plagued with technical problems and worse. Carnival Triumph was left without power at sea for days after a fire on board in February, and only three months later a Royal Caribbean International shift suffered a fire.
Hopefully these changes, which are the result of continued litigation against cruise lines, will result in a safer environment for passengers. Many people on a vacation forget that these large, luxurious floating cities are run by corporations motivated only be profit. Often times, cruise lines hire foreign nationals for which they don't need to comply with U.S. labor laws and cut corners with possible, sometimes with disastrous consequences.
Consumers who have been injured in a cruise line accident may contact and view his past verdicts and settlements.
Comments
Post a Comment