By:   Charles R. Lipcon

Our Award Winning Maritime Lawyers Handle Accidents, Injuries and Assaults at Sea

 

Whether you are crew or a passenger aboard a ship, you have a multitude of rights if you suffer an injury, lose a loved one, or are the victim of a sexual assault or rape at sea. Unfortunately, trying to navigate the complexities of maritime law is nearly impossible for the victims and their loved ones, especially while they are trying to deal with the many complications that come along with a traumatic and painful injury or assault.

Cruise liners, shipping companies, and other defendants who fall under maritime law do not make the process of seeking fair compensation easy,  as they fight to avoid liability by having their own maritime attorneys, who are very experienced at handling maritime defense cases.

Working with an experienced maritime lawyer that is on your side is one of the best ways to navigate this process. The team of attorneys at Lipcon, Margulies & Winkleman, P.A. has been practicing maritime law for over 50 years, has received the highest awards and accolades given in the industry, and a history of thousands of successful maritime law cases – giving you the knowledge and experience that you can trust.

Partner With the Nation’s Leading Maritime Law Firm

Lipcon, Margulies & Winkleman, P.A. (LM&W, P.A.) is a well-respected and awarded maritime injury firm based in Miami, Florida, but represents clients all over the world. From our offices in Florida, Georgia, Colorado, Washington, Hawaii and our headquarters in Miami, we can file cases in the appropriate jurisdiction. Our satellite offices are strategically located so that we can file you case where most of the shipping companies have their main offices.

With 15 full-time maritime attorneys at our law firm ready to help you fight for what you are owed for your maritime personal injury, we encourage you to contact us as soon as possible for a free consultation and to get specific legal advice on how best to move forward with your case. Whether working on wrongful death claims, claims for injured workers or cruise ship passengers, boating or jet skiing accidents, incidents that fall under the Jones Act, or countless other maritime claims, we are here to help.

Four Attorneys Named Best Lawyers in America

Lipcon, Margulies & Winkleman, P.A. is the only maritime firm representing injured passengers and crew with Four attorneys named to Best Lawyers® in America and the firm named to Best Law Firms® by US News & World Report consistently year after year.

Founded in 1971, we have fought tirelessly for more than 50 years to help our clients injured at sea obtain the maximum recovery under maritime law.

Contact Lipcon, Margulies & Winkleman, P.A. To Request a Free Consultation with a Maritime Personal Injury Attorney Today

Contact our Miami, FL maritime lawyer headquarters today to request your free consultation. We are prepared to represent you in state and federal courts, the appropriate admiralty jurisdiction, whether through domestic or international laws and even through class-action litigation. If you are looking for a Florida bar board-certified trial lawyer with extensive trial and appellate practice, look no further than Lipcon, Margulies & Winkleman, P.A. We are recognized as the largest maritime law firm in the United States, and Charles Lipcon, Jason Margulies, Michael Winkleman and Jacqueline Garcell have all been named Best Lawyers® in America for 2024.

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What Is A Maritime Lawyer?

The types of cases that a maritime lawyer handles include shipboard accidents on commercial vessels and passenger vessels; boating accidents; cruise ship and shore excursion accidents, such as those involving snorkeling or parasailing, cruise ship rape; and Jones Act claims. These cases involve serious personal injury due to negligence or criminal behavior. If you’re uncertain whether your case requires a maritime attorney, contact Lipcon, Margulies & Winkleman, P.A. for a free consultation with a maritime lawyer at our law firm.

General maritime law applies to maritime accidents in navigable bodies of water. Due to the unique nature of maritime law, a maritime lawyer must have significant additional training and education to ensure that they understand and can handle the complex and nuanced cases that stem from accidents and torts that occur at sea.

Maritime attorneys must be fluent in personal injury law, but this is only the start of how much understanding they must have to practice law as a maritime attorney. The types of cases that maritime lawyers handle include ship accidents, Jones Act claims (essentially, workers’ compensation claims for maritime workers), seaman’s claims, maritime wrongful death, assault, and rape. Because many of these claims occur on cruise ships, cargo ships, oil rigs, and other types of vessels, they require attorneys familiar with the nuances of maritime law and capable of practicing law in this field.

TV Appearances

The attorneys at Lipcon, Margulies & Winkleman, P.A. are known throughout the legal community and have developed a reputation as industry leaders. News networks like ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, and FOX News have featured our maritime law authorities on their networks when they need an expert opinion about a legal matter occurring at sea. Our named partners have made appearances on the Today Show, Dr. Oz, Good Morning America, Nightline, and many others.

Established news media outlets seek the legal opinions and expertise of our team of Miami maritime lawyers because we can provide thorough, informed, and concise information in a way that’s digestible to their audiences. There is a reason why our attorneys have appeared on every single major news network, literally hundreds of times. We are the go-to resource for knowledge, expertise, and information regarding anything that happens on the water.

nightlineoztodaynbc newsJuly 10, 2019 - Good Morning AmericaJuly 10, 2019 - CNN Headline NewsJuly 9, 2019 - The Early ShowJuly 9, 2019 - ABC World News

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Meet Our Maritime Lawyers

The maritime and admiralty attorneys at Lipcon, Margulies & Winkleman, P.A. have been dedicated to helping victims of maritime accidents, injuries, assaults, and wrongful death since 1971. Our maritime accident lawyers have served on the Maritime Law Association such as the Florida Admiralty Trial Lawyers Association, the Admiralty Law Committee for the Florida Bar, the Southeastern Admiralty Law Institute, and more. Meet our world-famous team of 15 board-certified Miami maritime attorneys:

Charles R. Lipcon

Founder
Awards
Lawyer of the Year
Best Lawyers in America
Best Law Firms (US News)
SuperLawyers
Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Club
Million Dollar Advocates Club
Experience
52 Years
Notable Verdict
$25.8 million for an engine room worker on a cargo ship (Houston, Texas Federal Court)
Concentration
Maritime Law

Jason R. Margulies

Named Partner
Awards
Best Lawyers in America
Best Law Firms (US News)
SuperLawyers
Experience
30 Years
Notable Verdict
Handled more El Faro cases than any other lawyer in the world, and resolved them all collectively for approximately $10 million
Concentration
Cruise Ship Rape and Sexual Assault

Michael A. Winkleman

Named Partner
Awards
Best Lawyers in America
Best Law Firms (US News)
SuperLawyers
Top 50 Personal Injury Verdicts in Florida in 2017
Experience
16 Years
Notable Verdict
$4.4 million for a Longshoreman injured at Port Miami (Walker v FPL)
Concentration
Cruise Ship Catastrophic Injury & Cruise Ship Sexual Assault

Jacqueline Garcell

Senior Partner
Awards
Best Lawyers in America
Top 50 Personal Injury Verdicts in Florida in 2017
SuperLawyers
Experience
9 Years
Notable Verdict
$2.6 million – cruise ship passenger injured in cruise ship's water park area
Concentration
Cruise Ship Sexual Assaults and Shore Excursion Accidents

Carol L. Finklehoffe

Partner
Awards
Admiralty & Maritime Law Certified Specialist (CA)
Experience
29 Years
Notable Verdict
$15,500,000 personal injury case
Concentration
Crew & passenger personal injury, wrongful death and sexual assault claims

L. Alex Perez

Partner
Awards
Tulane Law School - Charles Kohlmeyer Jr. Award for Top Maritime Scholar
Experience
7+ years
Notable Verdict
$3.5 million dollar confidential settlement
Concentration
Cruise Passenger Injury Claims
Crew Injury Claims
Recreational Boating Injury Claims
Maritime Contracts
Vessel Arrests
Maritime Procedure

Daniel Grammes

Partner
Awards
CALI Book Award for: Civil Procedure; Appellate Advocacy; Professional Responsibility; Payment Systems; and Conflicts of Law
Experience
6+ Years
Notable Verdict
Confidential $ for a Hurricane Sailing Incident
$875,000 Crewmember class action wage claim
Concentration
Maritime & Admiralty Personal Injury

Marc Weiner

Partner
Awards
William F. Blews Pro Bono Service Award
Experience
9+ Years
Notable Verdict
Anthem of the Seas hurricane sailing incident – Confidential $$
Concentration
Maritime / Admiralty personal injury – crew and passenger claims.

Geoffrey Probst

Attorney
Experience
18 years
Notable Verdict
$360,000 - Yacht Accident Crew Member Accident
Concentration
Maritime & Admiralty Personal Injury

Stefanie Black

Attorney
Awards
Book Awards for Florida Civil Procedure; Negotiations, and Law School Clinic
Experience
9 Years
Notable Verdict
18 trial wins for The State of Florida
Concentration
Maritime & Admiralty Personal Injury

Karen Grossman

Attorney
Experience
35 years
Concentration
Maritime and Admiralty Personal Injury

Heather Smith

Attorney
Experience
13 years
Concentration
Maritime & Admiralty Personal Injury

Olivia Thompson

Attorney
Awards
CALI Award for Admiralty Law and Seminar: Negotiating Environmental Settlements
Experience
2+ Years
Concentration
Maritime & Admiralty Personal Injury

Elizabeth Irazabal

Attorney
Awards
Graduated Cum Laude from Law School
Received Pro Bono Commendation from St. Thomas School of Law
Experience
6 Years
Concentration
Maritime & Admiralty Personal Injury

Eliana Aklepi

Attorney
Experience
1 Year
Concentration
Maritime & Admiralty Personal Injury

Ashley E. Wentz

Attorney
Experience
5+ Years
Concentration
Maritime and Admiralty Personal Injury

Landmark Cases

Our firm of maritime accident lawyers are constantly pushing boundaries by representing — and winning — landmark cases that set a precedent for all cases going forward. This cutting-edge understanding of maritime law is only one of the reasons why hiring Lipcon, Margulies & Winkleman, P.A. for your Miami maritime law case is an easy decision to make.

Our impressive list of landmark cases includes the following:

  1. Appellate Opinion in K.T. vs Royal Caribbean Cruises, LTD

    This is a landmark decision that will require every cruise line to warn passengers about the risk of rapes and sexual assaults on their vessels. LMAW obtains landmark Appellate Court decision in a case where a teenage girl was raped while aboard Royal Caribbean Cruise ship

    Read More +
  2. First Class Action in Admiralty Allowed

    HERNANDEZ v. The MOTOR VESSEL SKYWARD 61 F.R.D. 558 (S.D. Fla. 1973)


    PROCEDURAL POSTURE: In an action for breach of contract, negligence, and breach of implied warranty of fitness arising out of a pleasure cruise during which the passengers and the crew were exposed to contaminated food

    Read More +
  3. Error in Medical Negligence Case to not Allow Interrogatories Regarding Textbooks Regarded as Authoritative by Defendant Physician

    BUGA v. WIENER, M.D. 277 So. 2d 296; (Fla. App. 4th 1973)


    PROCEDURAL POSTURE: The plaintiffs, patient, and her husband sought review of a decision from the Circuit Court, Broward County (Florida), which, based upon a jury verdict, entered judgment in favor of defendant physician on plaintiffs’ medical malpractice complaint

    Read More +

View More Landmark Cases

Maritime Lawyers

Types of Maritime Cases We Handle

The following categories give a general idea of the types of cases we cover, but personal injury law — especially maritime injury law — is complex, and these cases are not often black and white. Whether or not you believe that your case falls into any of the categories below, if you have been the victim of an injury, accident, or assault that took place at sea or offshore in any capacity, email or call us now at (877) 233-1238 for free advice on your best course of action.

passenger-cruise-ship

Locations Served

With our global headquarters strategically located in downtown Miami, FL near the Port of Miami and all of our attorneys members of the Florida Bar, we are in the ideal location to handle any and all maritime actions. We are proud to have a global scope for our practice with trial lawyers prepared to fight on your behalf for your maritime injury anywhere necessary. Having handled significant cases from Italy, the United States, and everywhere in between, we are prepared to take a maritime case regardless of geography.

Due to the nature of maritime law, our clients are from all around the world, and we can file a maritime injury claim on their behalf in many jurisdictions. When working with a maritime accident lawyer from our firm, you can rest assured that you are partnered with the best representation available. From our head office in Miami, FL, or our numerous satellite offices around the United States, we are ready and able to assist you.

Our firm of 15 full-time maritime injury lawyers has offices in 7 states nationwide and can serve the entire United States, including:

We are also able to assist international clients from any of our 8 U.S. offices.

LM&W, P.A maintains satellite offices in Georgia, Colorado and Seattle, Washington to allow us to best represent clients throughout the United States. Our Washington office is strategically located to best serve our West Coast clients injured on cruises that require cases to be filed in Washington State, such as Holland America Cruises. Our team also has maritime personal injury attorneys licensed in California to handle claims that must be filed in California, such as Princess Cruises.

No matter where you are located in the world, if you were injured at sea or at an international hotel or resort, do not hesitate to contact our maritime law team for a free consultation. We will let you know if we can help and guide you through the entire process until you receive the maximum compensation available under the applicable law. Let us put our 50 years of experience to work for you!

admiralty-lawyers

FAQ

The maritime and admiralty law attorneys at Lipcon, Margulies & Winkleman, P.A. have negotiated and litigated thousands of maritime law cases throughout our over 50 year history. These are some of the most frequently asked questions that we’ve received from clients in our decades of experience.

What type of accidents fall under maritime law?

Who is responsible for my personal injury if I was involved in an accident caused by an unworthy vessel

What Is the Jones Act?

What should I do after an accident at sea?

How much does a maritime injury lawyer cost?

Where does my lawsuit have to be filed?

When should I contact a maritime accident lawyer for a cruise ship injury?

Can I contact a maritime lawyer from overseas after an offshore accident?

What kind of compensation can an injured cruise ship passenger receive?

award-winning-maritime-attorneys

Contact The Leaders in Maritime Law to Discuss Your Case

If you or a loved one have been involved in an accident, sustained an injury, or were assaulted while at sea or in port, or you are grieving the wrongful death of a loved one that occurred aboard a cruise ship or while at sea — reach out to us. We can help.

We are headquartered in Miami, FL, a major hub for vessels and cruise ships from all over the world. In addition to handling proceedings in Florida, our attorneys regularly litigate across the United States and represent clients all over the world

Not only does Lipcon, Margulies & Winkleman, P.A. focus specifically on admiralty and maritime law, we are nationally recognized by the highest maritime law organizations and media outlets for our contributions to maritime law and prolific history of successful outcomes in the courtroom, board room, and negotiation table.

Contact us now at 877-233-1238 and let us advise you on how to best proceed with your maritime claim.