Florida Cruise Ship Accident Lawyers

Florida has more boating accidents than any other state, a statistic that reflects both our wealth of beautiful coastline and our large tourism industry. When a pleasure trip on the water goes wrong, victims have the right to hold the responsible parties liable under a special set of Florida State and Federal maritime laws, as well as any of the normal shoreside personal injury laws that may apply. Which laws govern an accident depend on where victims were when the accident happened, what type of vessel it took place on and other specific circumstances. Because maritime and admiralty law is so complex, it is extremely important to hire a Jacksonville Jones Act attorney with significant experience in Florida and United States maritime law, like the ones at Farah and Farah.

Recreational boat accidents are an unfortunate fact of life in Florida. Like their counterparts on the roads, individuals and companies who operate pleasure boats don't always take the care they should. According to statistics from the U.S. Coast Guard for 2005, recklessness, inattention and speeding were the top three most common factors that caused a boating accident that year. Alcohol use followed closely at number six. Like drivers, watercraft operators have a legal duty to take care when they're operating their vehicles. Manufacturers of watercraft and boating equipment are legally required to offer safe and defect-free products. And if a boat involved in an accident is rented, the rental company may also be liable if it negligently failed to provide a safe environment or proper training for operators.

As the home of one of three major U.S. ports for cruise ships, Florida also sees a sobering amount of cruise ship injury lawsuits. The most common cruise ship injuries are slip-and-fall accidents and injuries caused by moving doors or furniture; many of these are minor accidents that you can resolve without an attorney. But other cruise ship accidents can be quite serious, including shipboard fires, ships that run aground or tip over, sending passengers and objects flying without warning; and passengers overboard, all of which can cause serious, life-changing injuries. Even worse, sometimes an intentional crime committed aboard a cruise ship goes uninvestigated or unpunished because of loopholes in criminal and maritime law. Cruise ship law is complex and often depends on contracts you may have signed with the cruise ship operator; victims may have only a very short time after an accident to file lawsuits. An experienced Jacksonville cruise ship attorney can help you protect your right to sue, demand justice and recover much more in damages than you may have on your own.

At the Florida law firm of Farah and Farah, we're proud of our strong record of significant recoveries for our injured maritime clients. These include a $3.3 million verdict -- upheld by the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals -- for a passenger who was permanently disabled after he was thrown from a pleasure boat. If you've been injured on the sea by someone else's carelessness or deliberate act, you have the right to hold that person responsible for his or her actions. Call our Jacksonville office today to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation with a skilled cruise ship accident attorney.

For a free evaluation of your case, call our Jacksonville office today at 1.800.611.0478