We Fight For Victims
Injured or Killed on the Water
Our attorneys have recovered
over $200 million for our clients.
About Our Miami Maritime Lawyers
At any given time, there are many cruise ships coming and in and out of ports all over the world. Unfortunately, not every day at sea is “smooth sailing,” and accidents happen frequently as a result of negligent or reckless conduct by various parties. In order to recover compensation for lost wages, medical expenses, pain and suffering, loss of consortium, and other losses resulting from a cruise ship accident, a victim or their family usually must be able to show that the defendant acted negligently.
Passengers who are seeking to assert claims against cruise ship companies, such as Carnival, Royal Caribbean, or Norwegian, may have a contractual obligation created through the ticket sales process to file any personal injury claims that they may have in the courts of Miami-Dade County. This makes it especially important to consult a Miami maritime lawyer. To learn how our attorneys can help, please contact us for a free case review.
Real Case Results
- $6.3 MillionBack Injury
- $2.9 MillionCruise Ship Injury
- $2.7 MillionCrewmember Injury
- $2.1 MillionSlip & Fall
- $1.2 MillionCruise Ship Injury
- $1 MillionSeaman Back Injury
- $980,000Cruise Ship Injury
- $610,000Workplace Injury
- $375,000Shoulder Injury
Brett Rivkind Has Been Referred To As The World’s Leading Legal Authority On Maritime Law
Since devoting his practice exclusively to maritime law in 1987, Brett Rivkind has navigated his clients through thousands of cases, including several high-profile disputes. Attorney Rivkind has obtained record jury verdicts and arbitration awards, many in the millions of dollars, and he has won the Verdicts Hall of Fame award. He has appeared on numerous television shows (including three separate appearances on Larry King Live), been quoted by many newspapers and media sources, and been consulted by other attorneys throughout the U.S. and abroad.
Attorney Rivkind has strong ties to the legal community in Florida. His uncle was Chief of the Immigration and Naturalization Service in Florida, and his father is the Honorable Judge Leonard Rivkind, a prominent Miami maritime injury lawyer who later served as both a circuit court judge and as the Chief Judge of the 11th Judicial Circuit.
Admiralty and Maritime Law
Cruise Ship Passenger Accident & Claims
Cruise Ship Rape & Sexual Assault
Boat And Water Sport Accidents
Crew Member And Seamen Claims
Personal Injury And Wrongful Death
Brett Rivkind Is The Only Plaintiff’s Maritime Attorney Asked To Testify At The Congressional Hearings On Cruise Ship Safety And Security
The Congressional Hearings were prompted in part by publicity surrounding the disappearance of George Smith IV on his Royal Caribbean honeymoon cruise. Brett Rivkind was hired by the Smith family to pursue this case against the cruise line. The case received lots of attention as many wanted explanations as to how a man could disappear off a cruise ship during his honeymoon, and why the current law was not protecting cruise ship passengers. The topics he was asked to cover dealt with international maritime security, law enforcement, passenger security, and incident investigation on cruises.
Legal Representation For Injured Workers At Sea
Rivkind Margulies & Rivkind P.A. represents people who have been injured while working as crew members for major container ship and cargo companies based in the Miami area. We can also handle cruise ship crew member and seamen claims and accident cases involving people who were hurt while working on yachts, supply vessels, crew boats, and dredging boats. Some of the other cases that we can bring involve tug boat accidents, oil rig accidents, and injuries sustained by anchor handlers (or riggers) and barge repair workers.
Our lead trial lawyer Brett Rivkind has an international reputation for dedication and excellence. His hard work and success have been recognized extensively through awards and special recognitions.
Boat Accidents
The number of boat accidents each year in the Miami area alone outnumbers the number of accidents in any other state. This puts Florida as the most common location for boat accidents in the country. Our Maritime attorneys have seen thousands of boat accident cases and represented victims in lawsuits against at-fault boat operators and boating companies to get them compensation for their injuries. We have also testified before congress about maritime law and boating law issues.
Boat accidents can often involve one vessel. Operators can be held liable if they injure passengers by crashing into rocks, docks, and piers, or they can be liable for injuries to swimmers, surfers, and other people in the water. The at-fault operator can also be held liable in boat accidents involving two vessels by looking at who committed errors and violations of boating laws.
Many accidents are caused by boating while intoxicated. Drunk boating accidents claim the lives of hundreds each year in the Miami area and cause other serious injuries as well. Many drunk boating accidents occur because of excess speed or lack of control, potentially leading to serious injuries to passengers on the drunk operator’s vessel and injuries to those on piers or other boats that were hit by the drunk boater.
Yacht Accidents
Yacht owners and passengers are not often involved in the actual operation of the vessel. Many yacht owners hire staff and crew to pilot the vessel and take care of maintenance and upkeep issues. When they do so, they put their trust – and often their safety – in their hands. These crew members and the companies they work for can often be held liable for accidents involving yachts.
If you were injured as a passenger on a yacht, you might be able to hold the at-fault pilot or other crew members responsible. This can often help you collect damages for injuries from crashes or from other accidents like slip and falls or falls overboard that occurred because of unsafe conditions on the boat. The owner of a vessel can also be held liable for its “unseaworthiness” in many cases.
If you were on another vessel or a dock or pier when it was hit by a yacht, you might be able to sue the owner and operator as well. It is usually an unacceptable violation of local boating laws and maritime law to cause this kind of accident, and the at-fault parties can be taken to court and held responsible for the damages their accidents caused.
Passenger and Crew Injuries
Accidents that injure passengers and crew on a boat could involve crashes and collisions, but they can also involve slip and falls, injuries from unsafe conditions or equipment, fires, and other accidents aboard a ship. Passengers and crewmembers injured on ferries, tour boats, and pleasure vessels can often face serious injuries that require substantial financial compensation. If you faced medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering from an injury, these damages can often be compensated in a lawsuit.
Many ships that do not carry passengers also carry potential risks of injury and death that crewmembers and their families might be entitled to sue for. Workers on tugs, barges, fishing boats, and other boats and ships all face the risk of injury at sea. Our maritime lawyers represent these injury victims in lawsuits under the Jones Act and other rules of U.S. maritime law to help them get the compensation they need from irresponsible boat owners, operators, and employers.
If the boat owner failed to keep the vessel seaworthy, our maritime attorneys might be able to sue for injuries these defects cause. We can also help represent victims who were injured because of unsafe conditions, dangers caused by excessive alcohol consumption, drunk boat operation, and other dangers.
Drownings and Disappearances
One of the most tragic accidents that can happen to a passenger or crewmember on a ship is a disappearance at sea. If your loved one fell overboard and drowned or the crew and Coast Guard were unable to locate them, your family could face considerable harm and emotional distress because of the loss.
In many cases, you might be able to sue the ship they fell from for their negligence in allowing the victim to go overboard or for their negligence in failing to properly perform a search. Victims often fall overboard because of dangerous conditions on a vessel. This could include slippery decks, broken railings, and other dangerous conditions. Passengers on party boats or tour boats who are overserved alcohol could also be at risk of falling overboard.
Crews that fail to properly respond to a report of a man overboard may share responsibility for the loss. Quick action is necessary to find a person who went overboard and get them the help they need to prevent drowning, and negligent or delayed action can put them partially at fault for your loss.
Damages in a wrongful death lawsuit against a ship for drowning and disappearances can help your family seek compensation for funeral and burial or memorial services, lost wages, lost companionship, lost spousal services, and more. Talk to a lawyer about when you can file a lawsuit for an overboard accident and how maritime law can help you get the damages you need.
In The Media
International Cruise Ship Injury Lawyer Brett Rivkind on Good Morning America Discussing RCCL Lawsuit
Attorney Brett Rivkind Joins CBS4 News To Discuss Legal Aspects In Suing Cruise Lines
