"Leesfield & Partners"

Published on: April 24, 2025

Teen Faces Felony Charge After Violent Outburst on Cruise Ship Elevator. What to Know.

A North Carolina teenager faces a felony charge after raging in a cruise ship elevator in which he allegedly beat another man into unconsciousness.

Michael White, 18, was taken into custody in Fort Lauderdale Friday after the incident aboard Royal Caribbean’s Liberty of the Seas. He was charged with felony aggravated battery, causing bodily harm.

At least one other person was listed as a co-defendant, according to reporting from local media, but that person’s name did not appear in Broward court records.

Published on: April 24, 2025

Carnival Cruise Passenger Allegedly Raped by Junkanoo Beach Jet Ski Operator. What to Know.

By Leesfield & Partners

A Carnival cruise passenger has accused a jet ski operator of assaulting her while on a recent voyage, according to media.

The alleged assault took place at Junkanoo Beach in Nassau, Bahamas,

The U.S. Embassy issued a recent warning to women after several concerning incidents in which jet ski operators in The Bahamas have allegedly raped tourists. The harrowing incidents have been linked to jet ski operators in Nassau, including Paradise Island beaches, Junkanoo Beach, Saunders Beach and Cabbage Beach.

Published on: April 18, 2025

Want to Sue a Cruise Line in Florida? Leesfield & Partners has 48 Years of Experience Doing Just That.

By Leesfield & Partners

For many vacationers, once the unmistakable combination of sun and salty breeze hit their skin, the worries of being on shore recedes into the background.

While cruise ships can certainly be an enjoyable getaway, however, it is important to note that passengers can fall prey to many of the same dangers that await them on shore. In 48 years of personal injury practice, Leesfield & Partners has represented clients who were victims of just that.

From an improperly maintained balcony railing that resulted in the death of a young girl to horrific jet ski crashes with long-lasting consequences, our firm has represented clients injured in just about every way imaginable on board a cruise ship. With these injuries, come unaccounted for expenses such as was the case for a crew member who went to the infirmary with

Published on: April 1, 2025

Two Men Charged for Sexually Abusing Teen on Royal Caribbean Cruise, officials say

By Leesfield & Partners

Two men have been accused in the rape of a 14-year-old boy in a sauna aboard a Royal Caribbean ship headed for PortMiami.

The men, Ricardo Daniel Mondragon Leal, 37, and Jose Juan Prudencio Diaz, 36, were charged on Friday, March 21.

Mondragon faces charges of sexual battery on a minor, lewd and lascivious molestation on a child aged 12 to 16 years old, lewd and lascivious exhibition on a child under 16 years old by a person over 18 years old.

Published on: March 4, 2025

Leesfield & Partners Files Lawsuit Against Royal Caribbean After Passenger Shatters Spine in Jet Ski Crash

By Leesfield & Partners

What was supposed to be a fun adventure aboard a Royal Caribbean voyage quickly turned into a disaster for one family after a tour guide violently crashed into a woman on a jet ski excursion.

Leesfield & Partners has recently filed suit in the case seeking damages for the severe injuries that Royal Caribbean’s tour guide caused to our client in the crash. The case is being handled by Partner Justin B. Shapiro.

What Happened?

Published on: February 26, 2025

Viral Video of Thrill-Seeking Cruise Ship Activity Leaves Viewers Skeptical. What do You Think?

By Leesfield & Partners

A video showcasing a passenger testing out a new slide advertised as the “quickest way” to travel eight floors on a cruise ship has gone viral.

The video, which has over 460,000 likes, thousands of comments and has been shared nearly 60,000 times, shows a passenger getting inside a tube-like slide and securing himself in a sack. Once the passenger was loaded up, the tube door closed, and the floor vanished from underneath him.

The man can be heard yelling all the way down, his laughter echoing through the tube. The camera then pans to the side of the ship where the slide curves off the edge, suspended over the pool deck for a moment of adrenaline-spiking danger.

Published on: February 21, 2025

Man Sentenced to Prison After Sexually Assaulting Teen on Cruise Ship.

By Leesfield & Partners

A man working as a chef aboard a Sky Princess ship was sentenced to prison earlier this month for sexually assaulting a young girl during a voyage.

Vincent Lucas, 34, of Goa, India, was sentenced on Feb. 14, 2025, to a year in prison for one count of sexual assault following a four-day trial.

The incident happened inside a teen area, a space exclusively designed for teens to socialize with those in their same age group, when the ship was returning to Southampton, Hampshire.

Published on: February 13, 2025

So, You Want to File a Cruise Ship Personal Injury Claim? Leesfield & Partners Has You Covered.

By Leesfield & Partners

Whether injuries take the form of slip and falls on the pool deck or refusal to evacuate amid a medical emergency, Leesfield & Partners is here to help you navigate the waters of cruise line personal injury cases.

Every year, thousands of cruise ship passengers are injured aboard ships for a wide array of reasons. And, every year, thousands of these passengers file personal injury claims against these cruise lines. Most of these claims fall under premises liability, where a cruise line fails to maintain a safe environment for passengers on its ship. However, Leesfield & Partners has extensive experience in this area of personal injury law and has encountered nearly every type of case imaginable. To date, the firm has secured over $40 million for cruise ship passengers injured due to that corporation’s negligence.

Shore Excursion

Published on: January 30, 2025

Cruise Ship Docked at PortMiami This Week Made Headlines. See Why.

By Leesfield & Partners

A new ship with the Cunard Line, a British shipping and cruise line owned by the Carnival Corp., docked in Miami last week, here’s a look inside the new ship on a line who will soon call South Florida home.

Queen Anne, which docked in PortMiami on Jan. 21, is Cunard’s first new ship in over a decade and precedes the South Florida move of Queen Elizabeth, its sister ship. That move is set to take place later this year, according to local media. The ship was docked in South Florida to give travel agents, tourism leaders and media a tour of the massive, 3,000-guest ship.

The ship is currently on a world tour, which began on Jan. 7, according to reporting from The Miami Herald. Locations already checked off the ship’s list include Hamburg, Germany, Mexico and Costa Rica. On Feb. 4, the ship will stop in San Francisco before continuing on to Honolulu.

Published on: January 14, 2025

Boaters, Dog Stranded After Cruise Ship Sinks Vessel in Florida. What to Know.

By Leesfield & Partners

At least two people and their dog were left stranded, clinging to a buoy in the Tampa Bay over the weekend, officials said in a news release Monday.

The incident happened before 6 p.m. Saturday near Gadsen Point after a cruise ship caused a wake that made their boat crash and sink. Both boaters were injured in the incident and swam to the buoy to wait for help.

U.S. Coast Guard officials as well as deputies from the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office found the trio at 6:11 p.m. Both people were taken to a local hospital.