Whenever an injury occurs on a vessel in navigable waters — including a cruise ship — a specialized body of law applies. Federal statutes, state law, and international conventions interact to determine who's at fault and what recovery is available.
Brandon Chase previously practiced at a maritime defense firm representing major cruise lines, so he knows from the inside how cruise operators evaluate, defend, and try to settle injury and assault claims. We use that knowledge to help passengers, tourists, and marine workers recover compensation for injuries on every kind of vessel — from jet skis to yachts to cruise ships — across the full range of incidents, from slip-and-falls and food poisoning to sexual assaults and serious collisions.
The areas of maritime law we handle most often:
Jones Act & Crewmember Claims
The Jones Act gives injured seamen and longshoremen the right to recover from negligent employers — including medical costs, lost wages, and pain and suffering when negligence and unseaworthiness can be shown.
Recreational Boating Accidents
Florida sets remarkably loose requirements for operating recreational vessels. When inexperience, intoxication, or defective equipment turns a day on the water into an injury, the operator and owners can be held liable.
Cruise Ship Personal Injury
Cruise ship injury claims are governed by federal regulations, maritime law, and the fine print on the back of your ticket — including strict deadlines. Talk to a maritime lawyer right away.
Shore Excursion Accidents
Cruise lines push shore excursions hard — and then try to disclaim every kind of liability for what happens during them. Those waivers don't extinguish the duty of reasonable care they still owe their passengers.
Death on the High Seas Act
When a wrongful death occurs more than three nautical miles offshore, a federal statute — the Death on the High Seas Act — gives surviving family members the right to bring a civil action.