Ferry Accident Claims – How Much Compensation Could I Claim?

While ferry trips happen every day and pass off without incidents, accidents on ferries do sometimes happen. All ferry operators have a duty of care to try and protect passengers and keep them safe wherever possible. If they fail to do so and you’re injured on a ferry trip, you could be eligible to claim compensation. Our guide about ferry accident claims will explain how much compensation might be awarded and how the claims process works.

Our specialist advisors can also provide information about ferry accident compensation claims. Firstly, they’ll review your claim and answer your questions. After that, they may pass your case to a personal injury solicitor on our team if it’s deemed to be strong enough. Should your claim be accepted by the solicitor, they’ll handle all aspects of it for you. What’s more, they’ll act on a No Win No Fee basis meaning legal fees will only become payable if your claim is successful.

Continue reading for more guidance on ferry accident claims or call 0800 6524 881 to discuss your claim right away.

Am I Eligible To Make A Ferry Accident Claim?

If you decide to claim compensation from a ferry accident, one of our solicitors will check if you’ve got a viable case before agreeing to proceed. This means that they will review whether:

• The ferry’s operator breached their duty of care through an act of negligence; and
• An accident or incident occurred on the ferry as a result; and
• You were made ill or sustained injuries because of the accident.

Generally, these criteria must be met for accidents in UK waters or while you’re on international seas if you’re to be awarded compensation.

While it’s quite easy to establish that the ship’s operator will have owed you a duty of care, it’s not always so easy to prove why an accident happened or the level of injuries you sustained. Therefore, later in this guide, we’ve listed some examples of the types of evidence you could use to support your claim.

Common Accidents On Ferries

In reality, there are far too many potential marine-related accidents to list here. Therefore, we’ve listed some types of accidents on ferries that compensation might be claimed for below. They include:

• Slips, trips and falls on deck or in corridors caused by spillages, leaks or recent cleaning.
• Food poisoning caused by poor food preparation techniques.
• Where passengers are hit by objects in rough seas because they weren’t stowed away securely.
• Collisions with other boats, rocks or docks.
• Where hot food or drink is spilt in restaurants or bars causing first-degree burns.
• Smoke inhalation resulting from engine or motor fires.
• In extreme cases, falling overboard which can lead to drowning.

Even if your ferry accident is not listed above, please get in touch today so a claims advisor can review your options for free.

Common Injury Claims From Ferry Accidents

Some of the main injuries caused by a ferry accident our team of personal injury solicitors could help you to claim for include:

• Torn or strained muscles, tendons and ligaments.
• Head injuries (including concussions).
• Fractures and breaks.
• Cuts and lacerations.
• Scalds and burns.
• Allergic reactions to food.
• Back injuries.

If you’ve suffered any type of injury following a ferry accident and believe crew members could’ve prevented it, please get in touch for a free review of your options.

Negligence That Could Lead To Ferry Accident Claims

As we’ve described above, you must be able to show that you were injured as a result of the ferry operator’s negligence. Even if an individual staff member was negligent, the claim would be made against the ferry operator’s insurance policy. Some examples of the types of negligence that could allow you to claim include:

• If you slipped on a wet floor where warning signs were not in place.
• Where staff were not trained properly on how to deal with emergency situations.
• If you were injured in a fall after the ferry collided with the dock wall.
• Where poor cleaning procedures led to an outbreak of food poisoning or other types of infections.
• If you were not trained in safety procedures when boarding the ferry or instructions were not easily accessible.
• If you fell down a flight of stairs because of a broken or loose handrail.
• Where you fell overboard because of inadequate safety rails.

Some of these examples are more extreme examples of ferry accident claims. Essentially, any type of injury, other than the most minor injuries, could be claimed for so long as the ferry operator or their staff were to blame. If you believe you should be compensated, please let us know and we’ll review your claim during a free initial consultation.

How Much Compensation For A Ferry Accident Could I Claim?

It’s not really possible to say what amount of compensation might be paid for an accident on a ferry until your claim has been assessed properly. However, you could claim general damages compensation to cover your physical and mental suffering while compensation for special damages could also be claimed to cover any costs incurred as a result of the ferry accident.

Therefore, if you make a successful ferry accident claim, you could be compensated for:

• Flashbacks, anxiety or other forms of damage to mental health.
• Replacement property costs for items damaged in your ferry accident.
• Additional travel costs.
• The cost of a carer.
• Medical expenses (including private treatment at home or abroad).
• Lost earnings (which may also cover future income reductions).
• Loss of enjoyment of any activities your injuries prevented.
• The cost of modifying your vehicle or home to make it easier to deal with any ongoing disability.

During the ferry accident claims process, an independent medical assessment will usually be booked so that a specialist can document your injuries and explain your prognosis.

Ferry Accident Compensation Calculator

You can use our ferry accident compensation calculator, provided below, for an idea of what various personal injuries could be worth in compensation.

Importantly, the figures provided are based on the Judicial College guidelines, and are guideline amounts only. Therefore, if your claim is successful, the amount you are awarded may differ.

Evidence To Support A Ferry Accident Claim

Although your solicitor will try to obtain evidence to support your ferry accident claim, this may be difficult after the ferry has set sail again. Therefore, it’s a good idea to try and collect evidence while you’re still on board if it’s possible to do so. This will be required to convince the ferry operator’s insurance provider that you should be compensated.

Some examples of the types of evidence that may help you to strengthen your claim include:

• Photographs taken at the scene of the ferry accident to prove the root cause of the incident.
• Medical evidence from the onboard medical facility (if there is one) or a GP or hospital if you sought treatment on land.
• A copy of an accident report form that can help to confirm the ferry accident happened when you said it did.
• Witness statements from anybody else who saw how your accident happened and what caused it.
• CCTV or mobile phone footage if the ferry accident was caught on camera.
• Financial documents to help prove the amount of money you’ve lost because of the accident.

All of the above can improve your chances of winning a ferry accident claim so it’s a good idea to try and obtain as much as possible. If you don’t have everything listed, please still feel free to call as your solicitor will try to secure anything else that’s needed if the claim is taken on.

Time Limits For Claiming Ferry Accident Compensation

There are specific time limits within which you can usually claim compensation following a ferry accident. The general time limit is three years from the date of the accident or the date when you first became aware of your injury (also known as the “date of knowledge”). This is in accordance with the Limitation Act 1980, which applies to most personal injury claims.

However, there are some exceptions and specific considerations for ferry accident claims, including:

Maritime and admiralty laws. For incidents that occur at sea, including ferry accidents, international maritime laws and conventions, such as the Athens Convention relating to the Carriage of Passengers and their Luggage by Sea, 1974, may also apply. Under the Athens Convention, the time limit for making a claim can be two years from the date of disembarkation.

Children. If the injured party is a child (under 18 years old at the time of the ferry accident), the three-year time limit starts from their 18th birthday, giving them until they turn 21 to make a claim.

Mental Capacity. If the injured person lacks the mental capacity to make a ferry accident claim, there may be no time limit until they regain capacity. Alternatively, a litigation friend (see our guide here) can claim on their behalf.

Death. If the claim is being made on behalf of somebody who unfortunately died in a ferry accident, the three-year limit typically starts from the date of death or the date when the death was linked to the accident.

Given the potential complexity of maritime law and the specific circumstances of each case, we’d suggest seeking legal advice as soon as you can after you return from your trip. That should allow enough time for medical reports and supporting evidence to be obtained to back up your claim.

If you are still suffering (physically, financially or emotionally), it may be possible for interim payments to be requested to help you out before the claim is finalised. However, this is only possible in cases where liability for your accident and injuries has already been agreed.

Starting A Ferry Accident Compensation Claim

If you have been injured or made ill whilst on a ferry and believe the operator was to blame, call 0800 6524 881 today to see if you could be entitled to claim compensation.

During the free call, specialist advice will be given and the merits of your claim will be reviewed. If the claim looks to be suitable to proceed with, we’ll pass it on to one of our personal injury solicitors. Importantly, they’ll deal with everything from start to finish on a No Win No Fee basis. If your claim is won, up to 25 per cent of any damages will be retained to cover your solicitor’s work. If the case fails, you don’t pay any legal fees whatsoever.

Please feel free to call or use our live chat service for further advice on ferry accident claims.