Our Experience With Holland America Injury Claims

Under the terms of your cruise contract with Holland America Line, all personal injury claims against Holland America Line must be filed in Seattle, Washington in federal court. For decades, our cruise ship injury lawyers have helped more injured Holland America Line passengers make a recovery following a serious injury than any other law firm. Because we regularly litigate claims against Holland America Line, we understand the cruise line’s procedures and when they are violated. We have the experience and resources to effectively prosecute your claim against Holland America Line and make certain that your legal rights are protected. We have the results to prove it. Contact our cruise ship injury lawyers today for a free consultation at 206.624.8844.

Holland America’s Duty to Exercise Reasonable Care

Under federal maritime law, Holland America Line owes a duty to its passengers to exercise reasonable care under the circumstances to prevent injury. “[T]he owner of a ship in navigable waters owes to all who are on board . . . the duty of exercising reasonable care under the circumstances of each case.” Kermarec v. Compagnie Generale Transatlantique, 358 U.S. 625, 632, 79 S. Ct. 406, 3 L. Ed. 2d 550 (1959); Peters v. Titan Navigation Co., 857 F.2d 1342, 1344 (9th Cir. 1988). The degree of care considered reasonable in a particular circumstance depends upon the “extent to which the circumstances surrounding maritime travel are different from those encountered in daily life and involve more danger to the passenger.” Rainey v. Paquet Cruises, Inc., 709 F.2d 169, 172 (2d Cir. 1983). See, e.g., Samuels v. Holland Am. Line-USA, Inc., 656 F.3d 948, 953 (9th Cir. 2011).

In our practice, we regularly encounter passenger injuries on Holland America Line cruises while boarding tender vessels to and from shore, injuries from slips or falls on substances spilled on the deck of the cruise ship, injuries on stairs, injuries caused by crew member negligence, injuries from defective equipment, crew member assaults, injuries caused by poor lighting, and many other instances of negligence. If you have questions about your right to compensation following an injury on a Holland America Line vessel, contact our experienced cruise ship injury lawyers for a free consultation at 206.624.8844.

Important Time Limitations on Holland America Injury Claims

The terms of the cruise contract with Holland America Line provide that passengers must give notice of an injury within 6 months of the claim and must file a lawsuit in federal court in Seattle, Washington within year. The failure to follow these procedures will result in the loss of your right to bring a claim. Therefore, it is important that you contact a cruise ship injury lawyer in Seattle, Washington as soon as possible after your injury to make certain that your rights are protected. Only a lawyer admitted to practice law in federal court in Seattle, Washington can file a claim for you.

Call for a Free Consultation at 206.624.8844

We offer a free consultation for Holland America Line passengers injured during a cruise or an excursion. While we are selective about the cases we accept in order to provide the best individualized representation to our clients, we handle cases on contingent fee, which means that you don’t pay an attorneys’ fees unless we are successful in making a financial recovery for you.