Cruise ship injury lawyer in Florida.

Do I need a Florida lawyer for a cruise ship injury?

Often, yes. The tickets of several large cruise lines say a passenger injury case must be filed in Florida, usually in the federal court in Miami. Some tickets name another state or country, so the ticket you were issued controls.

Shabsi Kabacznik is admitted in Florida and in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, the federal court for Miami and Fort Lauderdale.

What injuries on a cruise can lead to a claim?

Falls on wet decks and stairs, injuries from ship equipment, poor care from the ship's doctor or nurse, assaults, and injuries on shore excursions sold by the cruise line. In most fall cases, the question is whether the cruise line knew, or should have known, about the danger.

Can I sue the cruise line for the ship doctor's mistakes?

Sometimes. For years, courts held that a cruise line did not answer for its ship's doctor. In 2014, the federal appeals court that covers Florida held in Franza v. Royal Caribbean Cruises that a cruise line can be responsible for its medical staff in some cases. Whether that applies depends on the facts.

Is the cruise line responsible for a shore excursion injury?

It depends on who ran the excursion and what the ticket and the excursion terms say. Many tickets call tour operators independent contractors. A claim may still exist if the cruise line sold the tour and did not warn about a danger it knew about.

What should I keep after a cruise injury?

The ticket and booking confirmation, the incident report number if the crew made one, photos of the place you were hurt, the names of witnesses, and the records from the ship's medical center. Ask the medical center for a copy of your records before you leave the ship.

How soon should I call a lawyer after a cruise injury?

As soon as you can. A cruise ticket can require written notice of a claim within as little as six months and a lawsuit within as little as one year. Each cruise line sets its own terms.

How is a cruise injury lawyer paid?

Usually by a contingency fee, a percentage of what is recovered. At this office the percentage is written down before the work, and the client can bargain it.