Carnival Triumph Disaster Focuses Spotlight on Maritime Safety

Recently, the nation, and in fact the world, watched transfixed as news channels carried hour-by-hour coverage of the ordeal of passengers on the Carnival Triumph, as it floated helplessly on the water. A fire had disabled the engines, and the ship was left with thousands of passengers and crewmembers on board, and no power and no water supply.

Since then, the ship has been towed back to land, and the passengers have safely disembarked from their nightmarish vacation. Many of them are now recounting their experiences, and deservedly so, their stories are getting a lot of attention.

However, in the wake of this maritime disaster, it’s also important to understand the kind of stressful situations that crewmembers are exposed to almost every day. There is no doubt that the passengers on the Triumph suffered severe discomfort and were exposed to the risk of all kinds of injuries and illnesses, stuck as they were on a vessel that lacked even basic amenities.

However, spare a thought for the hundreds of crew members on board the Triumph, who had to not only bear all these intolerable and almost inhuman conditions, but also continue to work hard with a smile to make life as comfortable as possible for the passengers on board.

Crewmembers are not allowed to throw their hands up in the air when there are any problems with the ship that are beyond their control. In fact, when such emergencies arise, they are required to work double shifts, and work harder than ever to fix the problems on the ship, exposing themselves to a high risk of injuries and illnesses in the process.

Schechter, Shaffer & Harris, L.L.P., Accident & Injury Lawyers represents injured cruise ship workers in maritime claims.