Cruise Ship Lawyers Blog
At least two people and their dog were left stranded, clinging to a buoy in the Tampa Bay over the weekend, officials said in a news release Monday.
The incident happened before 6 p.m. Saturday near Gadsen Point after a cruise ship caused a wake that made their boat crash and sink. Both boaters were injured in the incident and swam to the buoy to wait for help.
U.S. Coast Guard officials as well as deputies from the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office found the trio at 6:11 p.m. Both people were taken to a local hospital.
Additional information, including what cruise line hit them and the extent of their injuries, was not immediately available Tuesday.
Leesfield & Partners
While Saturday’s incident is terrifying, data from the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) shows that it is uncommon with most incidents being minor, rarely resulting in injury. Many cruise ships today are equipped with modern navigation systems that help prevent collisions. CLIA data shows that from 2009 to 2019, around 18 “significant cruise ship accidents” occurred.
Cruise Mapper, a site that tracks cruise ship incidents, recorded at least seven cruise ship collisions, striking another vessel in motion, and allisions, striking a fixed object, in 2024. These incidents occurred from January 2024 until December 2024 with a range of cruise lines. The latest incident, an allision involving a ship docked at Port Nassau and a luxury superyacht, caused significant damage to the superyacht while the cruise ship sustained only minor damage.
Despite data showing that these incidents are few and far between, there are plenty of other harmful events that can occur on cruise ships. In nearly five decades of personal injury practice, Leesfield & Partners attorneys have represented clients in wrongful death and severe injury resulting from negligent security, premises liability, negligent shore excursions and medical malpractice at the hands of inept cruise ship doctors. In that time, our attorneys have developed cutting-edge trial techniques to pursue the best, possible outcome for injured clients.
Shore Excursions
The lives of a mother and daughter who were on a cruise and purchased a parasailing excursion on their ship were forever changed when a rope suddenly snapped while they were hundreds of feet up in the air. The two fell rapidly toward the water and the mother was killed while the daughter suffered life-altering injuries.
Leesfield & Partners attorneys obtained a $7.25 million settlement for their families.
In a banana boat excursion that caused severe injuries including a fractured femur to a 68-year-old client, Leesfield & Partners obtained a six-figure settlement.
The firm also handled a cruise-sponsored shore excursion involving all-terrain vehicles that caused serious injuries to multiple cruise ship passengers. The ATV in that incident rolled over.
The firm secured a $1.28 million settlement in that case.
In the case of a special needs adult traveling with his family on a cruise ship who was killed in a shore excursion bus crash, Leesfield & Partners secured nearly $3 million for the grieving family.
Medical Malpractice
When medical emergencies arise on a cruise ship in the middle of a voyage, thousands of miles from shore, cruise ship doctors are expected to have the training and facilities needed to address the passenger’s illness or injury. Oftentimes, however, these doctors are not up to par with U.S. standards, an issue that often results in further injury to their patients.
Previously, Leesfield & Partners represented a woman who needed a blood transfusion while aboard a cruise ship. The ship’s medical staff failed to test the blood she was given for HIV and the woman was given HIV-positive blood.
The 72-year-old retired nurse was infected with the virus as a result. Leesfield & Partners obtained a $4.25 million settlement for the woman in that case.
A cruise ship failed to evacuate a 65-year-old woman who was suffering from a stroke. The firm secured a $4 million award for her and her family.
A 9-month-old baby who was suffering from meningitis was misdiagnosed with a stomach bug by cruise ship doctors. Despite the infant’s clear symptoms, doctors did not administer the antibiotics needed to combat the meningitis. As a result, the baby underwent multiple amputations.
The firm recovered $5.5 million for the 9-month-old and her family.
Other Cruise Ship Incidents
As common carriers, cruise lines have a non-delegable duty to protect their passengers. While this legal principle – which refers to the higher duty of care – is generally accepted, Leesfield & Partners has seen time and time again how cruise lines attempt to shift blame onto others as a way to escape liability.
For a passenger who slipped and fell due to an unmarked step in a cruise ship restaurant, Leesfield & Partners obtained a $350,000 recovery.
A cruise passenger who suffered a fall in a cruise ship’s slipper public restroom, causing a severe knee injury, the firm secured a $425,000 settlement.
In the case of a catastrophic brain injury to a 9-year-old playing basketball on a cruise ship, Leesfield & Partners obtained a multi-million-dollar recovery for the child. This incident occurred when the minor dove for an out-of-bounds ball and hit a steel-unpadded grommet on the ship.
In a similar case involving a man, 62, who hit his head while playing pickleball on a ship, the firm secured a $500,000 settlement.
