cruise ship lawyers miami

Published on: October 30, 2024

Outbreaks of Legionnaires’ Disease Linked Back to Two Cruise Ships, CDC says.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently released a report detailing two separate outbreaks of Legionnaires’ Disease linked to cruise ships on different cruise lines.

The report’s findings say that the two ships, which were referred to as only “Ship A” and “Ship B,” had outdoor, private hot tubs on balconies. These hot tubs, according to the CDC, were the most likely cause of the outbreaks. Cases began springing up in November 2022, resulting in at least 12 passengers exposed to the disease.

Ship A, which had cases of Legionnaires’ Disease from November 2022 until April 2024, had a total of eight cases on board. Five of these cases stemmed from the same 14-day cruise in November 2022. Two other cases were identified from August-September 2023. In April 2024, one additional patient was identified. Both patients who were exposed in 2023 told health officials they were staying in cabins with hot tubs on the balconies. Of these cases, six were hospitalized.

Published on: September 6, 2024

Man Accused in Cruise Passenger’s Rape Faces Charges Following Weekend Cruise, Officials Say

By Leesfield & Partners

A Texas man who allegedly raped a woman on Royal Caribbean’s Freedom of the Seas faced sexual battery charges and was taken into police custody when the ship docked in Fort Lauderdale over the weekend, officials say.

The alleged attack took place on Aug. 28 with a 20-year-old woman stating to police that she was raped mid-cruise by the man.

The man, 28, was granted a $20,000 bond.

Published on: September 5, 2024

Doctor mistakenly removes man’s liver instead of his spleen. Now, his wife is planning to sue.

By Leesfield & Partners

The wife of a man who died during a surgery where his doctor removed his liver instead of his spleen is planning to sue, according to reporting from local news outlets.

The incident began when the man complained of feeling pain in his side while he and his wife visited their Florida rental property from Alabama. At the hospital, the man was allegedly planning to return to Alabama to see his usual doctor but was instead persuaded by a medical team in Florida to go ahead with the surgery, according to the family’s attorneys. Doctors are said to have “persuaded” him by explaining the potential risks that could arise if he delayed surgery.

A surgical pathology report listed the organ that was removed as a “grossly identifiable” liver that was partly torn. When removing the liver, the doctor tore blood vessels that caused “catastrophic blood loss resulting in death,” the wife’s attorneys said in a statement to local news outlets.

Published on: August 30, 2024

From a ‘Massive Brawl’ to Financial Crimes: A Look at Recent Criminal and Dangerous Activity Aboard Cruise Ships

By Leesfield & Partners

Four passengers on a four-day cruise from Miami face charges and others aboard Carnival Cruise Lines’ Freedom were accused of fighting, according to news outlets.

Two fights broke out during one of Carnival’s Freedom voyages from Port Canaveral. The first alleged fight took place Saturday in the ship’s nightclub between at least four people. When the ship docked in Bimini the next day, all four were escorted off the ship with their parties.

The second fight happened on one of the upper decks of the ship and included several people jumping into the brawl. It is unclear what started either fight. In footage of the second fight, a security guard can be seen stepping in to stop any further violence after much of the group that was brawling had already separated.