Posted October 19, 2026
By cruise ship attorney, Joel Barnett
A cruise is supposed to be a break from everyday life. When a fall, a medical emergency, or an accident on a shore excursion turns that vacation into an injury, you suddenly find yourself up against a billion-dollar cruise line with its own claims department and experienced defense lawyers. The attorney you choose to stand on your side is one of the most important decisions you will make after getting hurt.
Here is why passengers and crew members injured at sea have turned to Waks & Barnett, P.A. for more than 35 years.
We Represent Passengers and Crew, Never the Cruise Lines
Some maritime firms divide their time between injured people and the companies that injure them. We do not. Waks & Barnett represents injured passengers and crew members only. We have no relationships with cruise lines to protect, and no conflict when it comes to pushing hard for full compensation. Every case we take is about holding a cruise company accountable.
Decades of Experience Focused on Cruise Ship Injuries
Cruise injury claims are not ordinary personal injury cases. They are governed by maritime law, federal statutes, and passenger ticket contracts written by the cruise lines to favor themselves. Joel Barnett and Stephen Nuell bring more than 70 years of combined maritime and cruise ship injury experience to every case, and our firm has represented thousands of injured passengers and crew members. You can learn more about the attorneys who will handle your claim.
A Track Record of Results
Our firm has recovered more than $100 million for clients injured aboard Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, Disney, and other cruise lines. Past results include a $5.5 million recovery for a teenager who suffered a head injury in a shipboard stairway accident, $2.4 million for severe injuries caused by a stair railing failure, and $2 million in a medical negligence claim against Norwegian Cruise Line. You can review more of our settlements and verdicts.
Amounts shown are gross recoveries before attorneys’ fees and expenses. Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome in your case.
We Are Based Where Cruise Cases Are Filed
Most major cruise lines require passengers to file lawsuits in federal court in Miami, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida. Our office is in Miami, and that court is where we practice. We know the judges, the local rules, and the defense firms the cruise lines hire, which means your case is handled by attorneys who work in that forum every day rather than lawyers learning it for the first time.
We Act Quickly on Your Time Limits
Cruise ticket contracts typically require injured passengers to give the cruise line written notice of a claim within six months and to file a lawsuit within one year. These are time limits that are shorter than most passengers expect, and missing one can end a case before it starts. We move quickly to send required notices, preserve evidence such as surveillance footage and incident reports, and protect your right to recover.
We Handle Every Type of Cruise Injury
Our attorneys handle the full range of cruise ship claims, including slip and fall accidents, gangway and tender boat injuries, cruise ship medical negligence, shore excursion accidents, sexual assault, drowning, passenger overboard incidents, and wrongful death. We also represent injured crew members whose claims fall under the Jones Act and other maritime protections.
No Legal Fees Unless We Recover for You
Injured passengers often worry they cannot afford a lawyer while also dealing with medical bills and lost income. We handle cruise injury cases on a contingency basis, so you pay no attorneys’ fees unless we recover money for you. If you have questions about how this works, read what it costs to sue a cruise line.
Hablamos Español
Cruise passengers and crew come from all over the world. Our team speaks Spanish, so Spanish-speaking clients can discuss their case comfortably and clearly from the first call.
Get a Free Case Review
If you or a loved one was hurt on a cruise ship, call Waks & Barnett, P.A. at 1-305-271-8282 or contact us online for a free, confidential case review. There is no cost and no obligation.