Cruise ship injury lawyer

Cruise Ship Accident Lawyers Who Sue MSC Cruises

Experienced advocacy for victims of accidents and sexual assaults on MSC Cruises

MSC Cruises states that it has more than 300 years of maritime heritage and more than 30,000 staff worldwide. The cruise line promotes itself as the world’s third-largest cruise brand. Based in Geneva, Switzerland, MSC Cruises operates at many US ports. The company provides vacations for tens of millions of passengers every year. All of this success comes with obligations and duties. MSC must protect every passenger and crew member from accidents and sexual assaults. Hickey Law Firm is respected across Florida and the US for its impressive record of holding cruise lines accountable when they prioritize their profit over your safety. We’re ready to file your personal injury claim now. Many US MSC claims can be filed in Florida.

Our results

At Hickey Law Firm, we take pride in being “Big enough to handle any case. Small enough to care.” Our record of verdicts and settlements for cruise line passengers and crew members includes the following recoveries:

  • $10,576,717 for a crewmember who suffered severe spinal cord damage when a bread trolley fell on the crewmember’s back
  • $9,000,000 for a cruise line passenger who was sexually assaulted by a crew member
  • $8,200,000 for a passenger who fell and contracted CRPS, which led to the need to amputate her leg
  • $7,100,000 for our client who became a paraplegic after a cruise organizer sponsored an excursion to Cozumel, where there was unlimited drinking and diving from a seawall into the ocean and our client dove in, hit his head and became paralyzed
  • $6,000,000 when a passenger was directed to walk across a stage but fell into an orchestra pit, suffering massive internal injuries and traumatic brain injury
  • $3,389,000 for a former cruise ship first officer

Testimonials

A few of our many cruise line testimonials include:

I suffered a career-ending injury while working on a cruise ship.  Jack and his associates went all out in helping me obtain an equitable settlement. I can't recommend them highly enough. – John

 

Jack's knowledge of maritime and cruise ship cases is surpassed by no one. I highly recommend that you trust Jack Hickey with any serious personal injury matter of any kind. – John Burke, Attorney

WAS A LAWYER FOR THE CRUISE LINES. NOW A LAWYER FOR YOU ®

Free Consultation

Fee is Free - You Don't Pay Unless We Win

Frequently Asked Questions

Why hire a lawyer for an accident or assault claim against MSC Cruises?

The tens of millions of passengers that board MSC Cruise’s ships yearly means MSC Cruises makes hundreds of millions of dollars each year. They owe you the duty to fully understand what types of accidents and incidents may cause harm – and to pay you when they fail to meet their duty of safety.

At Hickey Law Firm, we work aggressively to show what steps MSC Cruises should have taken to prevent your injuries. These steps include having written policies and procedures, conducting routine inspections, monitoring the activities on board, hiring quality staff and doctors, and many other steps.

We investigate how your accident or assault happened and what should have been done to prevent your injuries. Our Miami cruise line attorneys question everyone involved to help prove liability. We also work with your doctors and our own network of medical professionals to show what treatments you’ll need for your injuries and how your injuries are making your life painful and unbearable.

We file demand letters, negotiate insurance settlements, and argue cases before judges and juries. We’re ready to help you from the moment you contact us. Call us now.

WHEN PEOPLE NEED A SPECIALIST IN LIFE-CHANGING INJURIES,
PEOPLE CHOOSE HICKEY LAW FIRM.

What ships are in the MSC Cruises fleet?

The fleet for MSC Cruises includes the following ships:

  • MSC World Asia. New ship.
  • MSC World America. New ship.
  • MSC Euriba. Built 2023.
  • MSC Work Europa. Built 2022.
  • MSC Seascape. Built 2022.
  • MSC Virtuosa. Built 2021.
  • MSC Seashore. Built 2021.
  • MSC Grandiosa. Built 2019.
  • MSC Bellissima. Built 2019.
  • MSC Seaview. Built 2018.
  • MSC Meraviglia. Built 2023.
  • MSC Seaside. Built 2017.
  • MSC Preziosa. Built 2013.
  • MSC Divina. Built 2012.
  • MSC Magnifica. Built 2010.
  • MSC Splendida. Built 2009.
  • MSC Poesia. Built 2008.
  • MSC Fantasia. Built 2008.
  • MSC Orchestra. Built 2007.
  • MSC Musica. Built 2006.
  • MSC Opera. Built 2004.
  • MSC Lirica. Built 2003.
  • MSC Sinfonia. Built 2002.
  • MSC Armonia. Built 2001.

What types of MSC Cruises accident claims do you handle?

At Hickey Law Firm, our personal injury lawyers handle all types of cruise line accidents and sexual assaults, including the following:

We represent anyone who is injured, including passengers and crew members, children, and the families of loved ones who died while on a cruise line.

What types of injuries can passengers on MSC Cruises’ fleet of ships suffer?

Our Miami cruise line attorneys work with your doctors to verify your injuries, explain what medical treatments are necessary, and show all the ways your injuries are making your life difficult. We handle all types of serious injuries, including catastrophic, life-changing, permanent, and serious injuries, including:

  • Traumatic brain injuries
  • Spinal cord injuries, including vertebrae injuries, paralysis, and disc injuries
  • Burn injuries
  • Nerve injuries, including chronic pain syndromes or neuropathic pain such as CRPS and Central Pain Syndrome
  • Orthopedic injuries, including complex, compound and multiple fractures
  • Nerve, ligament, tendon, muscle, and tissue damage
  • Organ injury and internal damage
  • Traumatic amputation/loss of a limb or any other body part
  • Back, neck, and shoulder injuries
  • Scarring and disfigurement
  • Vision or hearing loss
  • Loss of smell or taste
  • Infections
  • Trauma from sexual assault and rape
  • Sexual assault and rape injuries – including trauma, diseases, broken bones, and all other physical and emotional injuries
  • PTSD
  • Death

What can I do if I have been sexually assaulted on an MSC Cruises ship?

Sexual assaults and rape are unconscionable. Cruise lines know that sexual assaults and rape can happen when there are thousands of people on board their ships. MSC Cruises needs to comply with

the Cruise Ship Vessel Security Act of 2010 and other relevant state and federal laws to protect you.

Some of the steps you should take include:

  • Call our office. We’ll answer your questions and guide you.
  • Report the sexual assault/rape to the ship’s security officer.
  • Go to the ship’s infirmary for medical help.
  • Don’t shower or clean your clothes or bedding until a forensic exam can be conducted.
  • Where possible, find out the name of the person who sexually assaulted or raped you.
  • Get the names and contact information of any witnesses.
  • Report the crime yourself (not through the cruise line) to the FBI.
  • After entering a US port, go to the nearest hospital. Every US hospital should have a rape and sexual assault center.
  • See your own doctors and mental health professionals.
  • Take photos or videos of your physical injuries.

MAKING OUR WORLD SAFER ONE CASE AT A TIME ®

Can I file a lawsuit if I was injured on a ship owned by MSC Cruises?

Yes. If MSC Cruises fails to protect you from accidents or assaults, you have the right to file a personal injury claim. If a loved one died while on a cruise vacation, you have the right to file a wrongful death claim. Our Miami lawyers have helped many cruise line victims obtain substantial verdicts and settlements – some for millions of dollars.

At Hickey Law Firm, we can help you notify MSC Cruises and their insurance companies that you have a claim, and we can file your lawsuit in the correct court.

How can Hickey Law Firm help me?

Hickey Law Firm is known throughout Florida and the United States for our strong advocacy of cruise line ship victims. We are America’s #1 maritime law firm. For 20+ years, Hickey Law Firm has fought exclusively for injury victims – but before that, he represented cruise lines for close to 20 years, giving him in-depth knowledge of the tactics used by the other side.

Jack Hickey is an admiralty and maritime law specialist who frequently lectures and writes on the subject. These laws govern cruise line accidents and assaults.

The Best Lawyers in America® recognizes John H. (Jack) Hickey in the following areas:

  • Admiralty and Maritime Law
  • Personal Injury Litigation – Plaintiffs
  • Medical Malpractice – Plaintiffs

He is double Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Civil Trial and Admiralty and Maritime Law and Board Certified in Civil Trial by the National Board of Trial Advocacy (NBTA). He is also the past Chair of the Admiralty Law Section of the American Association for Justice (AAJ) and Past Chair of the Admiralty Law Committee of The Florida Bar.

How much is my claim worth if I’m injured on an MSC Cruises ship?

We work to maximize each client’s claim. Your damages include the following:

  • Medical expenses (to date and future expenses), including emergency care, hospitalizations, surgeries, physician visits, physical therapy and other types of rehabilitative care, medications, and assistive technology/devices
  • Lost income and benefits (to date and in the future) for every day you can’t work
  • Your daily physical pain and emotional suffering
  • Any scarring and disfigurement
  • The loss of bodily function
  • The inability to enjoy your life as you did before the accident or assault
  • Loss of consortium (enjoyment of marital relations)

You may also be entitled to punitive damages.

Our Miami MSC Cruises lawyers also file wrongful death claims on behalf of families when a loved one dies. We demand compensation for the funeral and burial costs and the loss of financial support and personal support your loved one would have provided each family member.

We’re skilled at negotiating settlements and arguing cases before juries.

Where do I file my lawsuit against MSC Cruises?

Many cruise line claims are filed in Florida. This is because your passenger ticket determines where you must file these cases. Miami and Fort Lauderdale are common US ports, so many passenger tickets authorize lawsuits in Florida, where our office is located.

MSC Cruises’ booking conditions specifically provide that for all cruise packages that involve a US port:

  • Claims for loss, injury, death or damage are resolved “exclusively by the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida, or if such court lacks jurisdiction, then by a court of competent jurisdiction in Lauderdale, to the exclusion of any other court, venue or jurisdiction.”

How long do I have to file my lawsuit against MSC Cruises?

There are strict deadlines for filing your cruise line claim. We strongly suggest that you contact us immediately.

Generally, accident and sexual assault victims must notify the cruise line within six months of the accident and file their lawsuit within one year. The exact timelines depend on your Passenger Ticket Contract and the relevant laws. When you contact us, we can help you comply with these requirements.

LAWYERS FOR PEOPLE WITH LIFE-CHANGING INJURIES®
YOUR FLORIDA MARITIME INJURY LAW FIRM

Get help from our accomplished MSC Cruises lawyers now

At Hickey Law Firm, we have the experience and resources to show why MSC Cruises should be held accountable and what damages they should pay. We file claims against MSC Cruises for injuries or deaths that occur on any ship in their fleet.  To schedule a free consultation, call us or complete our contact form. We represent cruise line accident victims on a contingency fee basis.

Some of the cruise lines we have sued

Hickey Law Firm has successfully sued some of the largest cruise lines in the world, including: