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With the sun warming your skin, the sea breeze tussling your hair and a full buffet waiting for you at lunchtime, the possibility that something may go awry seems impossible. For many, cruise vacations go off without a hitch. Others, however, are not so lucky. 

When it comes to the unlucky ones, Leesfield & Partners attorneys are ready to help pick up the pieces to guide injured clients through the legal process. With over four decades of experience navigating devastating cruise passenger and crew member injury cases, the firm has been recognized as a leader in its field with record verdicts in the state and nationally for injured clients. 

With its landmark office in the heart of Miami, about a 30-minute drive from PortMiami, also known as the “cruise capital of the world,” Leesfield & Partners attorneys have had thousands of passenger injury and wrongful death cases come across their desks. Attorneys with the firm have handled cases of medical malpractice at the hands of inept cruise line doctors, devastating cases of wrongful death during shore excursions, and negligent security cases in which passengers and or crewmembers have become the victims of violent crime while on board these ships. 

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Lengthy terms and conditions are scrolled past with fervor, and liability waivers are signed on digital screens in a rush. Whether it’s before a jet-ski guided tour in Key West, a parasailing adventure, or when purchasing a ticket aboard a cruise ship, people pay little mind to the language in these documents before they sign. When tragedy strikes, however, these documents are one of the first things a corporation’s attorney will point to to avoid liability. 

It is important to note that these waivers do not give cruise lines a free pass to flout safety regulations. Case law out of the United States Federal District Court is evident that these waivers do not imbue cruise lines with an impermeable shield, saving them from being held liable. Instead, these waivers can be used in court to show that a cruise line tried to warn the injured party of the risks associated with a certain activity. In the event of an injury, passengers are still able to pursue compensation for damages at the hands of negligent corporations despite having signed a waiver.

In Florida, where cruise lines dock at five main ports transporting millions of passengers in and out of the state every year, liability waivers are frequently used by vendors in an attempt to protect themselves. Under state law, these waivers stand only when safety regulations, as outlined in Chapter 327, Florida Statutes, are followed. For example, jet-ski rentals and guided tours, which are thriving businesses in a state known for its sparkling waters and warm weather, have routinely displayed their disregard for these regulations. Under these regulations, vendors are required to give pre-ride instructions to include operational and safety instructions, warnings of local hazards, navigational instructions, and details about what to do when there is a change in weather and or water conditions. In the 48-year experience in South Florida, Leesfield & Partners attorneys have learned that these companies are more likely to give a safety rundown that is too brief, if they give one at all.

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Carnival Cruise Lines is adding to its ships including three that rival in carrying capacity with Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas. 

The three new ships from Carnival are reported to be the largest vessels operated by the company and will be able to carry nearly 8,000 passengers. Construction of the first ship is scheduled to be completed in 2029 with the other two following in 2031 and 2033, according to reporting from national news outlets. 

Currently, the cruise line operates 26 ships with stays in places like the Bahamas, the Mexican Riviera, the Pacific Islands and Australia. Earlier this year, the company announced two other ships would be added to its fleet in 2027 and 2028 in addition to five vessels it is taking over from sister brands.

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With the dwindling days of summer vacation and the promise of back-to-school sales and homework assignments on the horizon, families all over the United States will head to South Florida in droves for last-minute summer getaways. The area has plenty to offer that attracts millions of tourists every year from the famed beauty and history of the Florida Keys to the opportunity to observe wildlife in the Everglades. Many families, however, will head straight to PortMiami, the cruise capital of the world, to board one of many cruise lines that frequent the area. 

PortMiami saw 7.3 million people pass through it in 2023 as the cruise line industry continued to gain back its footing after the pandemic. With increased traffic to the area as this boon in the industry continues comes the rise in the possibility of injuries. 

With a home base in Miami, Florida, Leesfield & Partners has had the unique opportunity of watching cruise ships compete with one another over the years to become “floating cities” and sea-bound theme parks. Today, more and more ships are equipped with winding slides, slippery water parks and onboard attractions that can sometimes lead to catastrophic injury when the right precautions are not taken. When the latter takes place, Leesfield & Partners has been there to support injured clients and grieving families. The extensive experience of Leesfield & Partners attorneys attained over its 48 years representing clients is to the benefit of an injured person seeking our legal counsel.

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The family of a 76-year-old Kentucky man was awarded over $2 million this month after his death from a burning incident in a motel shower, according to news outlets.

The incident happened in 2021 while the man was on a business trip. When he got in the shower, hot water estimated in the lawsuit to be 150 degrees Fahrenheit scalded him. The man fell and was unable to get up until coworkers who heard him screaming rushed into the bathroom to help. The man had third-degree burns following the incident and died seven months later after spending most of his time in and out of hospitals. Third-degree burns affect the deeper layers of the skin and burn down to the fatty tissue. They require immediate medical attention. 

The lawsuit filed on behalf of the grieving family did not specify what caused the water to come out at 150 degrees. A judgment filed earlier this month stated that the hotel failed to properly inspect and maintain the property in a reasonably safe condition. 

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In the same way as the popular saying, “April showers bring May Flowers,” summertime liberties can breed several injuries. 

Though it might not be as catchy, the latter is no less true. With an increase in outdoor activities, recreation, and travel, the warmer season has a propensity for injury. With the warm and sunny weather outside and school out for anywhere between two and three months for summer vacation, many families take the opportunity to travel, go on cruises, and or try recreational activities they are not accustomed to in their everyday lives such as go-karting, parasailing, or jet skiing. 

Cruise Ship Injuries 

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A woman sues SeaWorld after being injured at its Aquatica water park on a slide last year when another patron “violently colliding” with her.

The woman was visiting SeaWorld’s Aquatica in Orlando when she said she went on a slide that had no lifeguard stationed outside of it to monitor when patrons had safely gone down the slide and give permission for the next person to go. Before the woman got off her water slide, another adult guest got on and “violently colliding” with her, causing her permanent injury, her attorneys said in the lawsuit. 

This story is, unfortunately, not unique. A 7-year-old at Jungle Island in Miami visiting the park with his summer camp was luckily saved by a lifeguard who saw the child, not wearing a life vest, struggling in the water. The lifeguard performed CPR on the child who had to be taken to the hospital where he went into cardiac arrest but, thankfully, came out of the ordeal safely, according to previous reporting of the incident. 

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Cruise ships at Port Miami will be able to plug into the county’s power grid – a move that officials say will boost the local economy by attracting more cruise lines to the area while cutting down on pollution.

There’s just one problem. More ships means an increase in the possibility of cruise ship injuries, a practice area that Leesfield & Partners knows all too well. 

The decision was spurred by sustainability efforts from Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava who told reporters in an article published in The Miami Herald that the project would bring the county that much closer to cutting down on its carbon emissions. 

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Basking in the sun or heading to a cholesterol-raising buffet for the fourth time in a single morning, no one thinks about the dangers aboard cruise ships. Statistics show, however, that cruises are riddled with all kinds of hazards. From sexual assaults to falls resulting in broken bones or requiring surgery, Leesfield & Partners has represented just about every injury aboard these massive holiday vessels. 

When stories are spread in the media about cruise medical care and its often devastating consequences, Leesfield & Partners attorneys know that it is unfortunately not all that uncommon. Some people simply do not receive the care they require while others are left to suffer from illnesses or injuries because a cruise doctor refuses to evacuate them. In some cases, cruise ships will abandon a sick passenger in a foreign country to continue on its journey with the other passengers. This is much like the case of an elderly passenger represented by the law firm who suffered a hemorrhagic stroke. This type of stroke, according to the National Institute of Health, is a bleeding in the brain caused by a ruptured blood vessel. The passenger was able to disembark from the ship in the Bahamas for emergency transfer back to Broward County, Florida. The cruise line never verified that the airport would be open and the woman was left to wait at the closed airport where she died waiting to be transferred.  

Fortunately for a grandmother heading to the Bahamas on a Carnival Cruise Ship, the outcome was very different. 

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While packing sunscreen or researching potential sights to see, no one expects that their long-awaited cruise vacation might end in tragedy. However, in its decades of practice, Leesfield & Partners has seen all too well just how easily these trips can take a turn for the worse. 

Whether it be crashes on excursion buses, slipping on decks void of regulation handrails or an on-board medical professional refusing to evacuate a guest, Leesfield & Partners has seen families through it all. These tragic injuries have changed the lives of cruise ship guests, employees, and their loved ones, forever marring what should have been a beautiful memory of a relaxing getaway or just another day at work. 

In 2023, approximately 7.3 million people went through Port Miami on their way to their cruises.

In 2023, approximately 7.3 million people went through Port Miami on their way to their cruises.

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Miami Office
2350 S Dixie Hwy
Miami, FL 33133
Phone: (305) 854-4900
Fax: (305) 854-8266
Toll Free: (800) 836-6400
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615-1/2 Whitehead St
Key West, FL 33040
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E-Mail: info@leesfield.com
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