by Spencer Aronfeld | Jun 30, 2019 | Car Accidents
Starting Monday, July 1, 2019 law enforcement in Florida will be able to pull drivers over if they see them texting and driving. Florida’s texting and driving bill signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis, makes texting and driving a primary offense. Up until this point, texting and driving was considered a secondary offense, meaning law enforcement needed another violation to pull the driver over. Florida lawmakers have worked hard to change this fact for years but were only successful this last session in passing a law that makes texting behind the wheel a primary offense. The legislation was officially signed into law by Gov. Ron DeSantis on May 17. He noted that Florida was one of the last states to make texting while driving a primary offense. He also noted that Florida had more than 50,000 accidents in 2016 alone caused by distracted driving, resulting in 233 people losing their lives. Since this law is so new, drivers should be aware that law enforcement will be on heightened alert to warn drivers of their violations. If you are pulled over for a violation between now and the end of the year, however, you will only receive a warning. This six-month grace period was set to allow drivers to get used to the new law before written citations are issued. Once the new year begins, all bets are off, and law enforcement will be issuing formal tickets if a driver is seen texting while driving. Certain exceptions exist under the new law, including the use of GPS or Bluetooth on cellphones. Drivers can use these applications, so long as they are...
by Spencer Aronfeld | Jun 25, 2019 | Cruise Ship Accidents, Cruise Ship Injury
Four Carnival Cruise passengers were airlifted from the Bahamas to Fort Lauderdale following a serious bus crash on Monday, leaving several others injured. Three of the four passengers sustained injuries ranging from arm and leg fractures to internal injuries. One of the injury victims is facing possible paralysis. According to Carnival’s released statement regarding the incident, the bus was a shore excursion bus that was carrying 32 guests from the Carnival Ecstasy. They were traveling near Rock Sound, Eleuthera, approximately 20 minutes north of Princess Cays, when the accident occurred. All the passengers were treated at a nearby medical clinic with 28 of them being cleared with minor injuries to return to the ship. However, four guests were critically injured and were airlifted for hospital treatment at Broward Health Fort Lauderdale. The exact cause of the bus crash is not known at this time. Until the investigation is concluded, the Cathedral Cove, Ocean Hole and Rock Sound Island Tour excursions have been suspended. At the time the accident occurred, the Carnival Ecstasy was docked during a five-day cruise in the Bahamas. The ship left Jacksonville, Florida, on Saturday, but following the crash, the remainder of the cruise was suspended. The bus involved was operated by a third-party vendor, according to Carnival officials. Considering the number of Carnival passengers who were on board this bus, it can be assumed that this excursion was recommended by the cruise company. Aronfeld Trial Lawyers regularly represents clients who were injured while taking part in offshore excursions and in transportation accidents involving the same. INJURED ON A CRUISE SHIP OR CRUISE SHIP EXCURSION? SPEAK...
by Spencer Aronfeld | Jun 19, 2019 | Cruise Ship Accidents, Cruise Ship Injury
Everyone loves winning something or to be given something for free especially when it comes to travel, which is why many hotels and airlines use free upgrades as ways of showing customer appreciation. However, when it comes to the cruise industry, passengers should think twice before accepting that ‘complimentary upgrade.’ According to an inside expert, it may not always mean you are getting a better deal and could mean you get a worse room. Several different types of upgrades are possible, including an upsell, a promotional offer, or a complimentary upgrade. If the upgrade is not complimentary but instead comes with a fee, it is important that you, as the passenger, consider whether the price is worth the change. For example, many passengers make a point to book a room on a lower deck on a ship if they are easily seasick, but an upgrade may change the location for the room completely, thus defeating the purpose of booking that type of room. Similarly, many passengers like to be in the middle of the ship to be close to the ship’s amenities. Being upgraded to a balcony room further down the ship may not be what that person really intended. Once you have agreed to an upgrade, making any changes to that can be difficult and not always accepted by the cruise line. It is for this reason that many travel experts consider several different factors before agreeing to an upgrade. For one, the category of the cabin included in the upgrade needs to be considered. As a passenger, you need to decide whether you want an inside...
by Spencer Aronfeld | Jun 17, 2019 | Cruise Ship Accidents, Cruise Ship Injury
A man in his thirties was reportedly found at the bottom of the Caribbean Princess’ Neptune Swimming Pool after drowning sometime before 5:00 a.m. on June 14. A crew member and several passengers confirmed the man had been drinking on deck 15 of the Caribbean Princess at a party on the pool’s deck and later in the ship’s Skywalkers Lounge. Another passenger confirmed the man was swimming in the pool in the early morning hours. It is unclear if the pool was supposed to be closed at the time of the passenger’s death. It is also unclear as to whether security personnel had been assigned to deck 15 or were patrolling the pool at the time of the accident. Attempts to resuscitate the passenger were unsuccessful. This is the third drowning incident reported on a Princess Cruises ship. An eight-year-old was found unconscious at the bottom of the Sapphire Princess in 2015. In 2014, a 29-year-old woman drowned in a pool, also onboard the Sapphire Princess. INJURED ON A CRUISE SHIP OR CRUISE SHIP EXCURSION? SPEAK TO A CRUISE SHIP ACCIDENT LAWYER TODAY: 1-866-597-4529. If you have been injured on your cruise, on a wet and slippery deck, down a poorly lit staircase or steep gangway, in port on an excursion, on a tender boat or are the victim of cruise ship medical malpractice – it is important that you speak as soon as possible with a lawyer who specializes in personal injury claims against cruise lines. Most cruise lines, including Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, Norwegian, MSC, Disney, Holland America, Princess, Costa, Regents Seven Seas and Oceania require that claims against them be pursued in a very specific place under very...
by Spencer Aronfeld | Jun 13, 2019 | Cruise Ship Accidents, Cruise Ship Injury
A family has filed a lawsuit against Carnival Cruise Line on behalf of their loved one, Jeffrey Eisenman, a 65-year-old passenger who died onboard the Carnival Sunrise. The lawsuit alleges Carnival would not allow Eisenman off the ship to receive life-saving medical care after he suffered a serious heart attack. According to the lawsuit filed in Miami Federal Court, Eisenman suffered a heart attack while the Carnival Sunrise was docked at Grand Turk in the Turks and Caicos Islands on December 3. The doctor onboard the ship said Eisenman would need a stent implanted and that he should be flown to Miami because Grand Turk’s hospital was not equipped with a cardiac unit. The family had purchased insurance that would have covered an air ambulance. However, the Eisenman family was told he could not leave the ship and the ship set sail on its intended course for San Juan, a 21-hour voyage. Eisenman died overnight on the ship, as his condition continued to decline. The ordeal continued, the family said. Carnival told them that their loved one’s body could not be removed in Puerto Rico because they could not guarantee the body would be returned promptly from the hurricane-ravaged island. Eisenman’s son stayed onboard and accompanied his father’s body back to the U.S., according to the lawsuit. Eisenman’s body was kept in the ship’s morgue for an additional five days until the ship returned to Port Canaveral. The Eisenman’s allege Carnival Cruise Line was negligent in not recognizing the severity of their father’s medical condition and evacuating him quickly where he could receive the life-saving medical care he needed....
