If you are hurt on the property of another, notify them immediately, i.e., a store, place of business, cruise ship, yacht, parking lot, etc. If you are hurt in a car (driving or passenger) or bicycle accident, call 911. If you are hurt while working or as a passenger on a cruise ship, notify your supervisor (for the crew) or a crewmember (for the passenger), ask to be treated in the ship’s infirmary, inform the vessel’s safety officer and, depending upon the severity of your injuries, ask to be treated shoreside at the next port of call. If you were traveling as a passenger on a cruise ship and were sexually assaulted or raped, contact the FBI. If your injuries are life-threatening, the Cruise Line must divert the ship to the nearest emergency shoreside medical facility or air evacuate you. Get the names, telephone numbers, emails, and home addresses of all witnesses to your accident, i.e., those who saw the accident, know the condition of the accident scene, spoke to you after the fact from the cruise line, or treated you aboard the vessel or off. Have the people who witnessed your accident and the condition of the accident scene write a short statement on what they saw and a description of the accident scene. This is very important as often; people forget specific details of what happened or how things looked as time passes. These details may have an important impact on your case. Take photos! Many cell phones are equipped with cameras if you don’t have a good camera. Take multiple pictures of the scene and your injuries from different angles. Take photos even if the cruise line, store owner, or other driver takes photos. Get a copy of all documents, i.e., statements, medical reports, medical records, medical films/scans, reports, police documents, etc. Follow-up with all recommended medical treatments. Keep notes and a daily log of all events having anything to do with your accident. Note dates, times, places, names, addresses, phone numbers, emails, the severity of pain on a scale of 1 – 10, etc. While it is very difficult to think about protecting yourself after an accident, do NOT let too much time go by before you contact an attorney specializing in the type of law governing your claim. It is your attorney’s job to protect you in the event of litigation.