Carnival Cruise Ship Accident Lawyer

Our Award Winning Cruise Ship Lawyers have Decades of Experience Handling Carnival Cruise Accidents, Injuries and Assaults

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 200 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 $450 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”® 2016-2024. 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.

In March 2024, a fire in the exhaust funnel of the Carnival Freedom curtailed a cruise for the second time in less than two years. Approximately 3,700 passengers were on board when the fire occurred, and the canceled sailings likely would have had a similar number of passengers due to the busy Spring Break season. In 2023, a landmark ruling in a class-action suit in Australia found Carnival Australia misled passengers about the measures it had in place to keep passengers from contracting Covid after it failed to cancel a voyage from Sydney, which led to a major COVID-19 outbreak in 2020.

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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.

See What Our Clients Have To Say

Cruise Ship Passenger Injury

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Cruise Ship Crew Member Injury

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Frequently Asked Questions About Carnival Cruise Ships 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 Carnival Cruise Ships?

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?

If I’m Injured in a Cruise Accident, Who Is Responsible?

What Safety Measures Is a Cruise Ship Common Carrier Responsible For Providing Me?

What Information Do I Need to File a Cruise Ship Injury Claim?

How Long Do I Have to File a Cruise Ship Accident Lawsuit?

How Do I File a Carnival Cruise Line Ship Accident Lawsuit?

Our Experienced Carnival Cruise Ship Attorneys Serve Miami and Other Locations Across the U.S.

Our Carnival cruise ship accident attorneys at Lipcon, Margulies & Winkleman, P.A. are proud to serve injury victims across the world. We have built our firm with accident survivors and their families in mind. We strategically placed our eight office locations near and around Carnival cruise ship harbors so we would be easily accessible to cruise ship accident victims immediately after suffering life-threatening or critical injuries.

When you need a trusted Carnival cruise ship law firm on your side, look no further than our experienced maritime accident and personal injury lawyers at Lipcon, Margulies & Winkleman, P.A., at one of the following locations:

FLORIDA –
HEADQUARTERS
2800 Ponce de Leon Blvd.,
Suite 1480
Coral Gables, FL 33134
(888) 572-6185

FLORIDA:
9560 SW 107th Ave,
Suite 207
Miami, FL 33176
(888) 723-3048

GEORGIA:
Atlanta
(888) 912-2405

WASHINGTON:
1325 Fourth Ave.
Suite 1744
Seattle, WA 98101
(877) 657-9426

TEXAS:
5020 Montrose Boulevard
Suite 700A
Houston, TX 77006
(877) 420-8245

COLORADO:
Vail
(888) 987-6409

HAWAII:
Maui
(877) 421-2980

If your Carnival cruise accident injuries occurred in another location, do not feel discouraged. Our team of cruise ship accident lawyers is prepared to guide you through the claims process no matter where you are located. We can schedule a virtual consultation to discuss the specific circumstances of your case and determine what your next steps should be. And remember all Carnival passenger cases must be filed in Miami, Florida, our global headquarters.

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 16 attorneys has over 200 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 $450 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.
Read More
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.

Carnival’s Fleet

As of June 2024, Carnival has 25 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
Carnival Firenze, which cruises from Long Beach, California to Mexico
Carnival Venezia, which cruises Bermuda, Canada and the Caribbean
Carnival Jubilee, which cruises Texas, Mexico and Honduras

Coming 2025: Celebration Key

Carnival Cruise Line is set to unveil a new private destination this year. Celebration Key, located in the Bahamas, will welcome its first ship visits in July 2025. The company promises a range of activities catering to fun, relaxation, and adventure for all guests. Each new destination and shore excursion is an exciting opportunity for enthusiasts to have different memorable trips, but there will never be a cruise line that guarantees each passenger will be safe from harm. If you or a loved one is hurt at Celebration Key or aboard any Carnival cruise liners, our legal team is here to help you recover the compensation you deserve.

Carnival Recently Retired Fleet

Carnival retired two ships in 2022, the Carnival Sensation and the Carnival Ecstasy, bringing the total number of vessels that have left the Carnival Cruise Line fleet since the pandemic up to six. 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?

Our Award-Winning Maritime Lawyers Will Demand Justice and Maximum Compensation if You Are Injured or Assaulted Aboard Carnival Cruise Lines

If tragedy strikes and you were a victim of rape or sexual assault or any of the many injuries that could occur while traveling or working aboard a Carnival cruise ship, an experienced maritime attorney can help.

Our firm has been operating for over 50 years, and has recently recovered over $450 million dollars on behalf of our clients, handled landmark cases that have changed the landscape of maritime law, made hundreds of guest appearances on the world’s biggest news programs as experts on maritime and cruise law, and have received countless accolades and awards, including being named to “Best Law Firms”® by US News & World Report since 2016.

When you’re working with Lipcon, Margulies & Winkleman, P.A., you can be confident that there is a team of aggressive, experienced attorneys who are fighting for the compensation and justice you rightfully deserve. Contact Lipcon, Margulies & Winkleman, P.A. today to learn more about the assistance our experienced attorneys can offer you.

Call (888) 233-1238 to schedule a consultation or contact us online.

Carnival Cruise Accident Lawyers