On Cruise Ship Engine Room Fires and Cruise Industry Safety Problems

Continued from Part 1. Carnival has announced that it has now cancelled the next 14 scheduled cruises for the Triumph. They probably rethought the situation and realized it will take the equivalent of 14 voyages to clean the mess out. Coast Guard and NTSB investigators are greeting the ship when it arrives in port. They will begin an investigation into the cause of the fire, resulting conditions aboard ship, and treatment of those aboard. Our Galveston cruise ship injury attorneys don’t envy them their task.

Engine Room Fires on Cruise Ships and Previous Mechanical Problems aboard the Triumph

The Triumph has reportedly been having mechanical problems. An electrical problem in an alternator led to a delay in departure on a cruise in January for instance. After the current engine room fire, the Coast Guard loaded aboard extra electrical equipment yesterday to help boost power supplies and alleviate some of the Triumph’s woes.

And cruise ship engine room fires are not as rare as you might think. They just don’t usually receive widespread publicity. Our Galveston cruise ship injury attorneys point out that the major news event that the crippled cruise of the Triumph has become is unusual. An average of 4 serious engine room fires have occurred on cruise ships each year over the last two decades.

We already mentioned in another article the example of the Carnival Splendor that became stranded off of San Diego in November 2010. And since we mentioned the Coast Concordia disaster as well in relation to failed cruise ship safety, we might as well mention the engine room fire that crippled the Costa Allegra. To add to the burden of passengers and crew on that voyage, the Costa Allegra broke down in pirate-infested waters.

Carnival cruise lines has apologized for conditions aboard the Carnival Triumph since the fire, and is offering a full refund package that includes travel home, a credit for a subsequent cruise, and $500. But our Galveston cruise ship injury attorneys haven’t heard anything reliable regarding the cause of the engine room fire. Carnival is saying that it wasn’t the electrical problem that had caused earlier problems in an alternator there. So what was it? A major explosion like on the Queen Mary II? A leaking fuel line like on the recalled Toyotas we discussed a few weeks back? Poor maintenance? Faulty wiring?

Victims of Injuries from a Cruise Accident have Legal Recourse

 

The only good thing about the fire is that automatic systems succeeded in extinguishing it relatively quickly without injuries to crew or passengers. And, all things considered, the indignities of sleeping on deck, suffering noxious smells from running sewage, and food fights are preferable to serious burn injuries or the ship going down like the Costa Concordia.

But a lesser injury is still an injury. People aboard the Triumph have reportedly been pooping in biohazard bags. And our Galveston cruise ship injury attorneys point out that some evidently have been pooping outside of such bags since the decks and cabin walls are said to be running with feces. Unsanitary conditions compounded by heat on a crowded ship create a breeding ground for biohazards.

Should passengers or crew be sickened or injured by their recent stay aboard the unfortunately misnamed Triumph, they may be eligible for full compensation for the costs of their injuries and losses. The financial compensation for which they might be eligible could go beyond the refund offered by Carnival to include lost wages, medical expense, and pain and suffering, among other costs.

Contact the Galveston Cruise Ship Injury Attorneys at Denena Points, PC for a FREE Legal Consultation

We offer a free and confidential initial consultation to those who have been injured or become ill while aboard a cruise ship. Where your injury or illness is a result of cruise line negligence, you might be eligible for a financial recovery. Give us a call at 281-369-4363 or fill out our online contact form. We could discuss your specific injury and help you evaluate your potential eligibility for financial compensation after your needless injury. We’ve been helping injured victims successfully recover for more than 15 years. We could help you too.