Carnival Cruise Ship Accident Lawyer

Lipcon, Margulies & Winkleman, P.A. is the nation’s leading maritime firm handling cruise ship injury and sexual assault cases against Carnival Cruise Lines. With over 165 years of combined experience, our team of award-winning attorneys have successfully handled literally hundreds of cases against Carnival, on behalf of both passengers and crew members. If you’ve been injured while on a Carnival ship, let us put our wealth of maritime experience to work for you.

We’ve recovered more than $300 million dollars for our clients, and our relentless pursuit of justice has earned us the reputation as one of the most respected and successful law firms in the industry. Our firm is proud to have been named to “Best Law Firms”® by US News & World Report since 2016, with four of our attorneys named to “Best Lawyers”®. We understand how intimidating it can be for a victim to consider filing a lawsuit against Carnival as it is one of the world’s largest cruise lines, but they know our firm well, and know that they are in for a serious fight when we work to recover compensation that our clients are rightfully owed.

If you’ve been injured while on a Carnival ship, let us put our wealth of maritime experience to work for you and contact us for a free consultation today.

Partner With Experienced Maritime Attorneys To Get The Money You Deserve

We have successfully brought cases against Carnival and all of its subsidiaries for decades. We have attorneys licensed in Florida, California, and Washington state, allowing us to effectively handle cases against Carnival, Princess, Holland America, Seabourne, and other Carnival subsidiaries.

We have even been repeatedly successful in bringing claims against Carnival’s foreign subsidiaries, such as Costa Cruises. Taking legal action against foreign entities is complicated, but our award-winning team has the experience and dedication necessary to fight for the compensation our clients deserve. We take great pride in our ability to successfully represent our clients around the globe.

Carnival describes itself as “The World’s Most Popular Cruise Line®.” However, the company has come under fire for allegedly providing meager pay and minimal benefits to crew members while requiring 14-hour shifts with no days off. The potential for injury among crew members is high under such conditions, and consequently, these over fatigued crewmembers may not be able to effectively provide a safe environment for passengers. Both cruise line workers and passengers need to know their rights if and when problems develop aboard a Carnival ship. With our decades of experience litigating cases against Carnival and its subsidiaries, look no further than us to obtain justice for your injury claim.

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Types of Cruise Ship Accidents Common on Carnival Cruise Lines

If you suffered an injury on a cruise ship, either as a crew member or a passenger, you might be entitled to compensation. Examples of situations where you may want to pursue a claim include:

Whether or not you see your accident or the cause of your injuries listed above, contact our law firm as soon as possible to schedule a free consultation with a member of our award-winning team. No two accidents are alike, which is why working with an experienced maritime attorney is so essential: approaching each case with fresh eyes is essential to ensuring that each damage is identified, calculated, and fought for.

Maritime Injuries and the Statute of Limitations

The statute of limitations for most maritime injuries is three years from the date of the accident. However, disclaimers in most cruise ship tickets narrow that time to one year for passengers. This also includes a 6-month notice provision. This means that you need to act quickly to preserve your rights. It is important to speak with a cruise ship accident attorney as soon as possible after your accident so that you can make sure to file your claim on time.

Frequently Asked Questions About Carnival Cruise Accidents and Lawsuits

The following are just a few of the many questions that we commonly answer during initial consultations, as well as central questions to our cases as we work with clients to get the compensation and justice that they deserve following an injury on a Carnival Cruise Ship.

Keep in mind that the specifics of your situation will change the answers to these questions specifically, and the following are simply meant to give you a general idea of how we will work to find the unique answers to your case. The sooner you contact us, the sooner we will be able to begin working on your case.

How much is my personal injury case worth after an accident on a Carnival Cruise?

Calculating the damages that you have incurred and suffered as a result of your injury on a Carnival Cruise is complicated, and even after we have calculated the amount that we believe you are entitled to, there will be a series of negotiations in order to reach an out-of-court settlement or a lawsuit will be filed and we will take your case to trial. . Calculating your damages requires a deep-dive into things like your finances, your medical bills, and even quantifying the nature and severity of the emotional and psychological impacts that this accident has had on you.

Economic Damages

Economic damages are the basis of the damages that we will compile following a Carnival Cruise injury and include things like your medical bills, lost wages in the past and into the future, and all other measurable financial impacts that are directly tied to the accident. When left to their own calculations, Carnival Cruises will avoid offering compensation for many of these damages, which is important to remember if and when you get an initial offer that they attempt to settle your case with prior to hiring an attorney.

Non-Economic Damages

Non-economic damages are even more complicated and nuanced than economic damages and seek compensation for pain and suffering and related losses that generally speaking do not have measurable or set financial values associated with them. They seek compensation for things like the actual pain and suffering that you have endured, as well as emotional issues such as fear, anger, or anxiety that you may grapple with following your injuriesa and experience. As you can imagine, these damages are even more difficult to reach an agreement on, but we have over 165 years of combined experience fighting for non-economic damages for our clients and will do the same for you.

Punitive Damages

In very specific instances (for example, see our list of successful case results below), a judge or jury may award additional compensation to the victim known as punitive damages. These damages are generally not included in the initial compensatory damage package that a victim and their attorney will seek, and so we will rarely include these possible awards in our initial calculations. However, if the accident is the result of exceptionally egregious or negligent behavior on behalf of the cruise company, then we will fight for punitive damages to the fullest extent under the law.

Am I required to sign any paperwork that the Carnival Cruise staff presents me following an accident on board a cruise?

When should I hire an attorney if I am injured on a Carnival Cruise?

What to Look for in a Carnival Cruise Lines Lawyer

Cruising is a billion-dollar industry, which means that cruise lines have deep pockets to fight lawsuits and decades of experience handling liability claims against them. Cruise lines also have many tactics for avoiding liability, such as adding extensive disclaimers to their tickets. Add to that the fact that maritime law governs most lawsuits relating to cruise ships, and you’re left with a highly complex area of law.

Not just any attorney can handle a cruise ship case. You need an attorney well-versed in maritime law and years of experience in the industry. As you consider hiring a cruise ship attorney, keep the following factors in mind:

Suing Carnival Cruise Lines: Reputation in the Industry

Lipcon, Margulies & Winkleman, P.A.’s cruise ship lawyers are nationally and internationally renowned. When major news outlets need commentary or analysis regarding cruise ship incidents, they call our attorneys. We have been featured on over 100 nationally broadcast television programs, such as FOX News, The Today Show, Dr. Oz, Good Morning America, and CBS This Morning.

We have also received numerous accolades from preeminent organizations, such as Thomson Reuters’ Super Lawyers, the International Seafarers Union, and The National Trial Lawyers Top 100. Most recently, Charles R. Lipcon was named “Lawyer of the Year”® in Admiralty & Maritime by US News & World Report (2020)- Miami. They have also listed us as a Best Law Firm every year since 2016.

Experience & Knowledge Suing Carnival Cruise Lines

Our attorneys have the experience and knowledge to hold Carnival Cruise Line accountable. We have repeatedly demonstrated our skill in complex maritime cases where victims have sustained severe injuries or died while aboard a cruise ship or a shore excursion.

Our firm has been helping cruise ship accident victims for nearly 50 years, and our team of 12 attorneys has over 165 years of combined experience. While we operate primarily out of Miami, Florida, we have offices across the country, and we represent clients from all over the world. We have even appeared in courtrooms in other countries, and we can assist clients who speak many different languages.

Further, we have led the way in many landmark decisions that have helped define the law in cruise ship cases. For example, in Carlisle v. Carnival Corporation, we successfully argued to the Florida Court of Appeal that a cruise line could be held vicariously responsible for the medical malpractice of the ship’s doctor concerning a passenger. This marked a shift in the law, and the federal Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit eventually adopted the rule in 2014.

If you want a cruise ship attorney with unparalleled experience, you need to look no further than Lipcon, Margulies & Winkleman, P.A.

Successful Case Results Against Carnival Cruise Lines

Lipcon, Margulies & Winkleman, P.A., has recovered over $300 million dollars for our clients. We have successfully represented hundreds of clients suing Carnival Cruise Line, including seamen, crewmembers, electricians, engineers, captains, passengers, and others hurt aboard Carnival ships. The following cases illustrate a few examples of our successes against Carnival.

Caraffa v. Carnival Cruise Line- $3.6 million jury verdict

A Carnival Cruise Line electrician developed lung cancer related to asbestos exposure.

Caraffa was an Italian electrician who worked for Carnival for 15 years. In 2001, he developed lung cancer and eventually passed away from the disease. His doctors believed that his cancer was related to asbestos exposure. The machine spaces and engine room where Caraffa worked daily during his time with Carnival was full of asbestos. But there was a problem—Caraffa was also a smoker, so Carnival tried to claim it wasn’t responsible. After we conducted 9 years of diligent discovery and a 9-day trial, a jury found Carnival 35% responsible for Caraffa’s injuries and awarded his estate $3.6 million.
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Nunez v. Carnival Cruise Line- $575,000 jury verdict

Culinary worker is injured at work faces a 20% permanent impairment

Nunez was a Dominican culinary worker on one of Carnival’s ships. While Nunez was moving a large stack of plastic boxes, the stack got stuck on a crack in the floor, and he and the boxes toppled over. Nunez cut his leg on a chipped box. Nunez’s cut became infected, aggravating a pre-existing varicose vein problem. His doctor testified that this resulted in a 20% permanent impairment. Nunez brought a claim under the Jones Act, claiming that Carnival should have given him a cart or additional assistance moving the boxes. He also claimed that Carnival provided him with inadequate medical care following the incident. A jury awarded Nunez $575,000.
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Rodriguez v. Carnival Cruise Line- $525,000 jury verdict

Laundry room worker is fed undercooked meat and becomes infected with a parasite.

Rodriguez, a 23-year-old Costa Rican, worked in the laundry room of one of Carnival’s vessels. He claimed that Carnival fed him undercooked meat. This led him to be infected with a parasite that caused him to lose his light perception vision in one eye. He further claimed that Carnival did not provide him with proper ophthalmologic care, which could have reduced his vision loss. A jury awarded Rodriguez $525,000.
Read More

View More Case Results

We could easily list literally hundreds more successful Carnival cases, but the cruise industry invariably requires confidentiality clauses which prevent us from disclosing the details of the settlements.

See What Our Clients Have To Say

Cruise Ship Passenger Injury

I was very appreciative of the help that the law firm was able to do for me and my family …

Cruise Ship Crew Member Injury

Hello, my name is Bojan and I am from Serbia and I am an injured crew member. I’ve never had …

Carnival’s Fleet

Carnival has 24 ships, and the company boasts each “features its own unique twist on Carnival-style fun.” These ships include:

Carnival Vista, which cruises the Caribbean
Carnival Breeze, which cruises the Caribbean
Carnival Sunshine, which cruises Bermuda, the Bahamas, and the Caribbean
Carnival Magic, which cruises Bermuda, Canada, New England, the Caribbean, the Bahamas, and Transatlantic
Carnival Conquest, which cruises the Caribbean and the Bahamas
Carnival Dream, which cruises the Caribbean
Carnival Ecstasy, which cruises the Bahamas
Carnival Freedom, which cruises Alaska, the Caribbean, and the Panama Canal
Carnival Sensation, which cruises the Caribbean and the Bahamas
Carnival Sunrise, which cruises the Bahamas, Bermuda, the Caribbean, and the Panama Canal
Carnival Valor, which cruises the Caribbean and Transatlantic
Carnival Pride, which cruises the Caribbean, Bermuda, the Bahamas, and the Panama Canal
Carnival Glory, which cruises the Caribbean and the Panama Canal
Carnival Radiance, which cruises Bermuda, Canada, New England, the Caribbean, Europe, Panama Canal, Bahamas, and transatlantic trips
Carnival Splendor, which cruises Australia, New Zealand, and the South Pacific
Carnival Liberty, which cruises the Bahamas
Carnival Elation, which cruises the Bahamas and the Caribbean
Carnival Paradise, which cruises the Caribbean
Carnival Legend, which cruises the Bahamas, Bermuda, the Caribbean, Europe, the Panama Canal, and Transatlantic
Carnival Miracle, which cruises Alaska, Mexico, and Hawaii
Carnival Panorama, which cruises Mexico
Carnival Mardi Gras, which cruises the Caribbean
Carnival Horizon, which cruises the Caribbean
Carnival Spirit, which cruises Alaska, Asia, Australia, Hawaii, Papua New Guinea, South Pacific, and Transpacific

Coming 2022: Carnival Celebration

Setting sail from Miami in 2022 to celebrate Carnival’s 50th anniversary, the Celebration is a cutting-edge ocean liner boasting 19 decks, countless activities, extensive dining options, and a range of destinations. Each new ship is an exciting opportunity for enthusiasts to have different memorable cruises, but there will never be a ship that guarantees each passenger will be safe from harm. If you or a loved one is hurt aboard the Celebration or any other Carnival cruise liners, we are here to help you get the money you deserve.

Carnival Recently Retired Fleet

Carnival retired four ships in 2020, the first to be retired since 2009 when the Holiday class was retired:

Carnival Fantasy
Carnival Fascination
Carnival Imagination
Carnival Inspiration

If you were injured on a ship that has since been retired, your legal rights do not necessarily change. However, contact us immediately as passengers generally only have one year to bring a claim, while crewmembers have three years. Request your free consultation as soon as possible to ensure that you are not limited by time restrictions in your fight for the money you deserve.

You Deserve Safety and Security on Any Carnival Cruise Ship

No matter the ship and the destination, every passenger and crew member is entitled to the ship to be reasonably safe for them. If there is a failure on the part of Carnival Cruise Line to offer a safe traveling environment, both on the ship and off, crew members and passengers may pursue a claim for damages.

Simply stated, a cruise line must provide reasonable care under the circumstances. So whether it is a wet floor, a broken lounge chair, or a dangerous shore excursion, the analysis for liability is often similar: Did the cruise line act reasonably under the circumstances?

Contact LM&W If You’re are Injured or Assaulted on a Carnival Cruise Ship

If you or a loved one is hurt aboard any Carnival Cruise Line ship, one of your primary focuses should be to explore your options for making a claim. Lipcon, Margulies & Winkleman, P.A., represents passengers and crew members injured while onboard Carnival ships, as well as on any cruise line on which an injury occurs. We will be able to start working with you immediately, even if you are still aboard the cruise, and can help guide you through these early days as you wait to disembark and begin to make your way home and to the care of your primary physician or local medical facilities. These first days after a cruise accident are stressful and uncertain, but when there is an experienced and knowledgeable maritime attorney available to answer your questions, manage your legal matters, and provide you with guidance as you try to make sense of your situation, you can stay focused on your health and personal needs with confidence knowing that someone who understands these processes is working diligently to ensure that you are safe and secure.

Contact us at (877) 233-1238 or reach out online to schedule a consultation with a maritime attorney so you can learn more about your rights as a victim of a cruise line accident. Let us put our experience and expertise to work for you!