Miami Cruise Ship Lawyer

• Carnival Breeze
• Carnival Magic
• Carnival Ecstasy
• Carnival Fantasy
• Carnival Glory
• Carnival Horizon
• Carnival Celebration
• Carnival Firenze
• Carnival Sensation
• Carnival Splendor
• Carnival Victory
• Carnival Vista

• Empress of the Seas
• Enchantment of the Seas
• Majesty of the Seas
• Navigator of the Seas
• Symphony of the Seas
• Independence of the Seas
• Wonder of the Seas

• Norwegian Escape
• Norwegian Epic
• Norwegian Getaway
• Norwegian Jade
• Norwegian Jewel
• Norwegian Pearl
• Norwegian Sky

• Celebrity Reflection
• Celebrity Infinity
• Celebrity Eclipse

• MSC Divina

• Disney Magic
• Disney Wonder

• Seven Seas Explorer
• Seven Seas Mariner
• Seven Seas Navigator

• Oceania Insignia
• Oceania Riviera
• Oceania Regatta
• Oceania Sirena

Cruise ships are essentially floating cities carrying thousands of passengers and crew. Passenger counts now exceed 6,500 or more. Every year cruise lines come introduce bigger vessels with new attractions. From rock climbing, simulated surfing, bumper cars, ice skating and roller coasters. Synthetic floors allow cruise lines to build bigger ships each years. While marketed as safe vacation the massive scale and ship environments present unique risks such as maintenance, wear and tear, and other harms that may encountered on land but are not as easy to address when your out at sea. Cruise ship voyages and their profits are based on turning the ship and getting ready for the next voyage. If you 're injured, injured passengers are faced with more challenges than the cruise lines want you to know before you board.

There are no police on a cruise ship. The cruise lines employee 's loyalty is to the cruise lines that employ them. When you cross the gangway onto the vessel passengers don 't realize they are no longer subject to the same legal protections or access to information if you were injured on land. For decades, cruise ships continue to grow larger in size, with increased passenger counts and new attractions and destinations.

Medical facilities and resources are limited. Security presence is not what passengers are led to believe. The belief that your are safer at sea than you are on land is a myth. While cruise ships can be enjoyed safely, there are also many hazards that passengers don 't realize until it 's too late. We're here to help. 

Staffing and manning levels are not proportional to the number of passengers or there needs to ensure safety for all passengers. Available ship personnel are often inadequate when compared to the sheer size of the vessel and passenger counts. Labor laws also limit the number of hours crew members can work during a shift. Many ship personnel have multiple responsibilities. Passengers may be injured due slippery floors, sexual assault by crew, poorly designed flooring, negligent repairs, poorly maintained equipment, burns from hot decks, defective nosing, failing to use non skid and anti slip materials, inadequate handrails, tripping hazards, lack of warnings and signage, dangerous shipboard activities like water slides, flow riders or just due inadequate supervision and carelessness by ship personnel.

As the cruise ship industry and their vessels grows larger risks and dangers continue to increase too. At Gerson & Schwartz, our lawyers in Miami are here to meet this need. We help seriously injured passengers and crew across the nation including vessels that depart or arrive in Miami regardless of whether your vessel disembarked in and out of Miami, Florida of another port of call.

Cruise ship injury claims are different form typical land based injury claims cases. Shortened deadlines to file a lawsuit,  application of maritime law, and the cruise ticket contracts often require personal injury lawsuits can only be filed in federal court in Miami. That means if you are an injured cruise passenger from New York, Nebraska, or Chicago your local lawyer can 't help you. You need an experienced cruise ship accident lawyer in Miami to protect your legal rights. 

Jurisdictional issues add another layer of legal complexity. Injuries occurring in international waters or foreign ports often and may involve foreign-flagged vessel which can raise questions about what law applies. In most injury cases, most cruise lines require passengers to file suit exclusively in federal court in Miami, Florida, regardless of where the passenger resides. This means your case will be based on the general maritime law as interpreted by the Unites Sates Supreme Court and lower federal courts. 

Though most major cruise lines cases must be litigated exclusively in federal court in Miami, some exceptions may apply. Examples may be based on the cruise itinerary, whether the vessel touches a US port, if the claim involves a US passenger and what cruise line is involved. There are also exceptions for minor children that don't apply to adults. For these reasons, it is essential to contact an experienced lawyer to understand your legal rights and remedies.

Likewise, claims involving shore excursions or other agents or third-party operators requires knowledge and careful legal analysis.  Sometimes foreign legal systems and coordination with international counsel is required. Beyond jurisdictional issues and strict deadlines cruise lines often attempt to limit liability through shipboard waiver before participating in onboard activities and in some cases shore excursions. Though shipboard waivers are typically unenforceable under general maritime law, some wavers by excursion operators others may be. 

Knowing how successfully challenging these blanket waivers involving excursion operators requires a deep understanding of maritime law, legal relationships between the cruise line and shore excursion operators and other third parties.  At Gerson & Schwartz, our lawyers have the experience needed to evaluate these complex legal issues.

At Gerson & Schwartz our Miami cruise ship accident lawyers have the necessary experience to represent the injured in:

• Rape and Sexual Assaults
• Slip, Trip and Fall Accidents
• Passenger Accidents 
• Rape or Sexual Molestation
• Wrongful Death
• Gangway Accidents on Cruise Ships
• Criminal Acts by Crew Members
• Crew Member Injuries
• Excursion Accidents 
• Crimes At Sea 
• Missing Persons 

Cruise lines and their team of lawyers are highly experienced in defending these cases. They often delay, deny, or attempt to minimize injury claims. Without skilled legal representation, you risk losing critical evidence or missing important deadlines. At Gerson & Schwartz, our cruise ship accident attorneys know how cruise lines defend and more important how to fight back too. Our lawyers have the experience necessary to build our cases in compelling fashion. Our message is powerful and effective. 

How Much Does it Cost to Hire a Miami Cruise Ship Lawyer?

Our firm handles all injury cases on a contingency fee basis. T0hat means your only pay us if we win. There are also no costs to get started. Our lawyers know the questions to ask and how to find the answers to. Thought the cruise lines may fight we have the knowledge, training, and resources to fight back too. 

Cruise ship injury cases are governed by admiralty and maritime law, which often differs significantly from standard state personal injury law. These cases may involve federal statutes, international treaties, and foreign laws depending on where the incident occurred. Other factors our firm will look into is the flag state of the vessel. 

Jurisdiction is often complex. Even if you live in another state or another country you still be required to file your case in Miami. Passenger ticket contracts frequently limit where claims can be brought and impose strict procedural requirements that can affect your rights if not followed carefully. Unlike typical personal injury cases  your rights are governed  by the “contract of carriage. Even if you never fully reviewed or were never physically given a copy because many cruise lines now provide only online terms and conditions. 

Cruise ship injury claims are not handled like typical land-based personal injury cases. Instead, they are governed by a complex combination of federal maritime law, international agreements, and contractual provisions contained in your passenger ticket often called the “contract of carriage.” These contracts routinely impose strict limitations, including a requirement to provide written notice of your claim within as little as six months and to file a lawsuit within one year. Missing these deadlines, especially if the incident was not properly documented onboard, will permanently bar your claim. Our cruise ship attorneys investigate critical issues such as whether the cruise line or ship

• Failed to maintain ship in reasonably safe under the circumstances
• Failed to warn of known hazards
• Ignored prior incidents or complaints of prior similar accidents or incidents
• Failed to follow safety policies or industry standards

Under general maritime law, cruise lines owe passengers a duty to exercise reasonable care under the circumstances. What is reasonable depends on the circumstances and requires a fact intensive analysis of multiple variables and information. Liability may arise if it can be proven that there was a failure in maintaining safe conditions, foreseeable hazards, or warning about hidden or known dangers. Cruise lines are also required to properly inspect and repair equipment, correct known dangers, warn about hazards and providing  warnings of hidden dangers while implementing appropriate safety and security measures for safety of passengers.

Liability may arise from the actions of crew members at every level from housekeeping and maintenance staff to security personnel or from the cruise line 's failure to address known risks of harm. In many cases, the cruise line may also be held responsible for the conduct of others, including passengers or third parties, under principles of vicarious liability Many serious injuries occur due to preventable conditions such as slippery flooring, defective equipment, inadequate maintenance, poor supervision, or dangerous shipboard activities that were not properly vetted for safety. Even if you never reviewed or physically received your ticket contract, you are still bound by its terms. Many cruise lines now provide these terms online only, which often leads to passengers being unaware of critical legal limitations.

These passenger ticket contracts commonly require:

• Written notice of a claim within as little as six months
• Filing a lawsuit within one year (exceptions may apply to minors)
• Filing the case in Miami, Florida regardless of where you live

Missing these strict deadlines will permanently bar your claim.

Our common types of case our Miami cruise ship attorneys represent clients in serious and catastrophic injury cases include.

• Slip and fall accidents (wet decks, pool areas, stairways)
• Cruise Ship Rape and Sexual Assault by Crew Members
• Rape and Sexual Assault by Passengers
• Trip and fall hazards (thresholds, uneven flooring)
• Gangway and embarkation injuries
• Negligent security and criminal acts
• Medical malpractice onboard
• Flow rider Accidents
• Water Slide Crashes
• Hot Decks and Floor Surfaces
• Shore Excursion accidents
• Drowning and Wrongful death
• Defective equipment and unsafe conditions
• Crew member injuries (Jones Act claims)

These incidents often occur in high-traffic areas such as open decks, restaurants, and gangways, or during ship-sponsored activities that present hidden risks.

Negligence may be established if the cruise line:

• Employee acts in carelessly injuring another passenger, or:
• The cruise line knew or should have known about a danger or a particular risk of harm
• Failed to maintain or take corrective action on the ship or an area to make it safe
• Failed to warn about a known hazard or risk of harm
• Evidence of negligence may include, failing to take corrective despite prior incidents 
• Ignoring complaints of prior similar accidents or incidents.
• Failed to follow safety policies or industry standards

Victims of cruise ship negligence may be entitled to recover damages for medical expenses, lost income, loss of earning capacity, pain and suffering, emotional distress, and permanent injuries such as scarring or disfigurement and inability to lead a normal life. Our firm handles these cases on a contingency fee basis, meaning there are no attorney 's fees unless we recover compensation on your behalf. We have spent decades representing injured passengers and crew members in complex maritime cases against major cruise lines such as Carnival Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean International, and Norwegian Cruise Line. We understand how these companies defend claims and how to build cases that hold them legally and financially accountable.

Injured passengers and crew members may be entitled to compensation for:

• Medical bills and expenses (past and future)
• Lost wages and loss of earning capacity
• Pain and suffering in the past and future
• Emotional and psychological harm
• Scarring and disfigurement
• Inability to lead a normal life.

Cruise lines and their insurers are highly experienced in defending these cases. They often delay, deny, or attempt to minimize claims. Without skilled legal representation, you risk losing critical evidence or missing important deadlines.

Our attorneys understand cruise line defense strategies and have the experience necessary to build strong cases and take them to trial when necessary. Our firm handles all cases on a contingency fee basis—there are no attorney 's fees unless we recover compensation for you.

• Report the incident immediately and request a written report
• Seek medical care onboard and do not refuse treatment
• Take photos and videos of the scene
• Identify witnesses and crew members
• Preserve evidence such as footwear
• Seek medical care again once home
• Contact a cruise ship injury lawyer immediately

Even if you do not live in Florida, your case may still need to be filed in Miami. Our firm represents clients across the United States and internationally and works with experts and co-counsel around the world when necessary.

We are located near the Port of Miami and handle cases throughout Florida and beyond.

Cruise lines and their insurers are not on your side. In many cases, they delay and stall in an effort to run out the clock on your claim. Because of shortened statutes of limitations and strict notice requirements, waiting too long can destroy your ability to recover compensation. Acting quickly allows your legal team to investigate the facts, secure critical evidence, and position your case for success. If you or a loved one has been injured on a cruise, do not delay. Contact an experienced Miami cruise ship injury lawyer to protect your rights and begin the process immediately. Cruise lines often delay in hopes that victims miss strict filing deadlines. These deadlines are much shorter than typical personal injury cases. If you wait too long, your claim may be permanently barred.

If you or a loved one has been injured on a cruise ship, do not wait. Time is working against you The Miami, Florida cruise ship accident injury lawyers at Gerson & Schwartz, PA are willing and able to represent you and your family in Florida state court as well as in federal courts. Our Miami cruise ship attorneys have developed strategic affiliations with other lawyers in nearly all jurisdictions. Our law firm regularly accepts referrals of cruise ship injury cases from other lawyers throughout the country.

Our Miami, Florida cruise ship injury law offices are located in the Miami near the port of Miami and close to Port Everglades in Broward County Florida. Collectively, our lawyers have 80 years of experience handling cruise ship injury accidents, maritime claims, and wrongful death cases. All cases are handled through a contingent fee arrangement. This way there is no attorney fees until and unless we recover money for you. Contact us today at for a free consultation at (877) 475-2905.