Resort Injury Lawyer Blog

A homicide investigation is underway in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, where five Canadians and seven Mexicans were killed by an explosion at the Grand Riviera Princess Hotel resort. Eighteen additional people suffered injuries.

Investigators are pursuing a theory that methane gas had accumulated from rotting material in waste water and the gas ignited, causing the explosion, the Vancouver Sun reports. Mexican authorities ruled out the possibility of an attack. Quintana Roo state attorney Francisco Alor said that homicide investigations are routine in Mexico whenever there are unexplained deaths. Complaints have been filed with Mexican authorities by three Canadian families.

Resort Torts are cases of civil liability for negligent or criminal acts that arise out of a resort, vacation or recreational setting. These can involve aspects of hotel and motel safety, cruise ship litigation, pleasure boating and jet ski incidents, amusement, aquatic, diving and swimming incidents, foreign travel and medical emergencies, gaming and casinos, aviation (commercial and general), rental car liability, moped, bicycle and motorcycle safety, buses and tour guides, travel industry liability for crime victims, and medical care provided to vacationers. Resort Torts can encompass a vast array of types of cases but they all have one thing in common: tourists, business travelers and locals alike are all exposed to risk while traveling, vacationing or engaging in resort or pleasure activities.

© Darryl Brooks | Dreamstime.com
The 4,500 passengers and crew aboard the Miami-based Carnival Cruise Lines' Splendor cruise ship, originally bound for the Mexican Riviera, are still waiting to reach shore after a harrowing 72-hour excursion. The ship lost power Monday after a fire in the engine room and then drifted at sea for two full days. No air conditioning, hot water, hot meals, or cell phone or Internet service were available to the passengers. Emergency food including Spam and Pop Tarts were eventually provided by the U.S. Navy.

The ship was 200 miles south of San Diego and about 44 miles off shore when the engine room fire occurred, according to the Miami Herald, and is now waiting to be docked in San Diego after having been towed in. The ship will remain in San Diego for repairs before returning to its home port of Long Beach.

Carnival has offered passengers a full refund and a free future cruise. To date no injuries have been reported as a result of the fire or lack of services, utilities and food.

Resort Torts are cases of civil liability for negligent or criminal acts that arise out of a resort, vacation or recreational setting. These can involve aspects of hotel and motel safety, cruise ship litigation, pleasure boating and jet ski incidents, amusement, aquatic, diving and swimming incidents, foreign travel and medical emergencies, gaming and casinos, aviation (commercial and general), rental car liability, moped, bicycle and motorcycle safety, buses and tour guides, travel industry liability for crime victims, and medical care provided to vacationers. Resort Torts can encompass a vast array of types of cases but they all have one thing in common: tourists, business travelers and locals alike are all exposed to risk while traveling, vacationing or engaging in resort or pleasure activities.

Between Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando, there were eight ride injuries reported in the third quarter of 2010, according to state records cited in the Orlando Sentinel.

1. Disney's Animal Kingdom: A man suffered a seizure on the Dinosaur ride.
2. Disney's Animal Kingdom: A man experienced chest pain on the ride Expedition Everest.
3. Disney's Epcot: A woman experienced chest pain on the ride Mission: Space.
4. Disney's Typhoon Lagoon: A man collapsed and eventually suffered a stroke after riding Storm Slides.
5. Disney's Typhoon Lagoon: A woman lost consciousness in the wave pool.
6. Disney's Magic Kingdom: A woman fell and broke her spine on the moving passenger-loading area for Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin.
7. Universal Orlando: A woman broke her ankle on Camp Jurassic in Islands of Adventure.
8. Wet 'n' Wild: Someone experienced chest pain requiring the use of a defibrillator on Der Stuka.

Resort Torts are cases of civil liability for negligent or criminal acts that arise out of a resort, vacation or recreational setting. These can involve aspects of hotel and motel safety, cruise ship litigation, pleasure boating and jet ski incidents, amusement and theme park liability, aquatic, diving and swimming incidents, foreign travel and medical emergencies, gaming and casinos, aviation (commercial and general), rental car liability, moped, bicycle and motorcycle safety, buses and tour guides, travel industry liability for crime victims, and medical care provided to vacationers. Resort Torts can encompass a vast array of types of cases but they all have one thing in common: tourists, business travelers and locals alike are all exposed to risk while traveling, vacationing or engaging in resort or pleasure activities. Click here to contact a board certified civil trial specialist with 25 years of experience representing victims of negligence in personal injury matters.

Continue reading "8 Resort Injuries Reported on Disney & Universal Theme Park Rides" »

Reckless driving for using his cell phone while behind the wheel - that's the conviction Christopher Bevis was facing in Melbourne, Florida. The head-on car crash he caused left a man with a fractured humerus, crushed left ankle, a traumatic brain injury affecting his speech.

The Daily Business Review reported that Bevis did not appear at the civil trial and a default judgment was entered. The court awarded the injured man $14.4 million

Case: Kroeger v. Bevis - Case No.: 2007-CA-015242

In April 2010, John Leighton presented "Driving While Distracted: The New DUI" to lawyers attending the American Association of Justice (AAJ) JazzFest Seminar in New Orleans.

As of December 2008, there were 271 million cell phones in use in the United States, representing 84% of the country's population. Drivers are increasingly distracting themselves by chatting, texting and emailing while on the road, often resulting in dangerous accidents. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that driving while distracted contributes to one in every four car crashes. By some estimates, in as many as half of all crashes (there were six million last year), cell phone use was involved.

The widespread awareness of this problem has prompted government concern and states are now addressing the issue legislatively. Some states and municipalities have acted to ban texting while driving and/or driving with a handheld device, while six states - including Florida - have laws that prohibit local jurisdictions from enacting restrictions. In other states, localities are allowed to ban cell phone use or texting while driving. In October 2009, President Obama issued an order banning all 4.5 million federal employees from texting while driving.

Join the campaign for a No Phone Zone.