Celebrity Cruises Youth Counselor Faces Molestation Charges
Sexual assault of passengers happens on cruise ships. We have represented numerous cruise ship rape and assault victims over the years. A 35-year-old cruise ship youth counselor is in custody in Broward County jail after being charged with abusive sexual contact with a minor under the age of 12. The FBI reports the man sexually…
Read MoreNew Opinion on a Fatal Car Accident That Killed Four Women in Florida
The Federal appeals court for Florida, Georgia, and Alabama, the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals, has affirmed a verdict in a car crash in the Florida Keys where a truck crashed into a car with four young women from Spain who were on vacation at the time. All four women died. The verdict was for…
Read MoreKratom Co. Hit with $11.6M Judgment in Florida Mom’s Death
A federal judge in Florida has entered an $11.6 million judgment against a kratom distributor, Grow LLC (operating as the Kratom Distro), based in Oregon. The judgment comes in response to a case involving the death of Krystal Talavera, who passed away in 2021 after consuming kratom, an herbal supplement with opioid-like effects. The judge…
Read MoreWhy Are Royal Caribbean Cruises Sales Soaring?
While cruises seem to be more popular than ever, we know what kinds of dangers they can pose. We handle cruise ship cases. Not everyone can do this, because cruise ships fall under Maritime law. This is a complicated area of law. We are specialists in Maritime law so we understand the risks. It is…
Read MoreNEWS: Five Lobster Hunters Saved from Sinking Boat in Marathon
Boaters and passengers who intend to go out on the water deserve to be safe. Hickey Law Firm can help when someone else’s negligence causes your injuries. Make sure everyone has access to a well-maintained Personal Flotation Device (PFD). These are life jackets. They should be easily reachable, not stored in locked compartments. Keep a…
Read MoreNEWS: Court Rules Uber Driver Must Face Passenger’s Fall Injury Claim
A New York appellate court recently reversed a summary judgment against a passenger who was injured getting into an Uber. The passenger tripped on a protruding piece of curb, which was immediately outside the door to where the Uber parked to pick up the passenger. Per Law 360, the case was originally dismissed: The four-judge…
Read MoreNEWS: Ten Injured in Boat Collision Off Anna Maria Island
The Miami Herald has reported on a collision between two boats near Anna Maria Island, resulting in injuries to ten individuals. The incident involved a 50-foot race-style yacht and a 24-foot bowrider with 10 people on board. The collision occurred in intercoastal waters off the northern end of Anna Maria Island. All passengers from the…
Read MoreFederal Judge Awards Driver $26.5M In USPS Crash Suit
Mail truck drivers are federal employees. That means that if you are injured in a crash with a mail truck, you’re not suing some company. You’re suing the federal government. There’s a very specific way to do that. Not all lawyers have the resources to sue the federal government. Hickey Law firm does. These are…
Read MoreNegligence in the Air and on the Ground: United Airlines Settles for $30M
United Airlines settles claims that its negligent handling of a disabled passenger caused him to be a quadriplegic for $30 million In the case of Nathaniel Foster Jr. et al. v. United Airlines Holdings Inc. et al., case number 3:19-cv-02530, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, the parties settled after…
Read MoreInjuries In the Workplace
Are all injuries in the workplace subject to workers’ comp? No. If the injury occurred on the job on land, ordinarily the employer has immunity from suit. The worker does have a claim for medical expenses under the workers’ comp laws. Workers who have claims for their medical expenses under the workers’ comp laws need…
Read MoreThe Athens Convention in Cruise Ship Cases
In all cruise line claims by passengers, if the itinerary of the cruise does not include a U.S. port, the Athens Convention applies. That is because the U.S. is not a signatory to the Athens Convention. Thus, if the itinerary does include a U.S. port, the Athens Convention – including its cap on damages – does not…
Read MoreAppeals Court Says Woman Can Sue Target for Slip and Fall Case
Store owners and managers have a legal responsibility to maintain safe conditions for their customers. When they fail to do so, they may be held liable for any resulting injuries. This is called premises liability. The most common condition which causes accidents in stores are slip and falls. Slip and fall accidents in stores and…
Read MoreDrunk Driving Can Ruin Lives
Recently, a drunk driver hit a golf cart with a newlywed couple inside. In this horrific drunk driving crash in Folley Beach, South Carolina, a newlywed couple left their beachfront reception and hopped in a golf cart with two family members – it’s legal to drive golf carts on public roads in many places in…
Read MoreNews: Deadly Accident on the 79th Street Causeway May Have Been Caused by Drunk Driving
Miami Police say a Lamborghini driven by Alejandro Hall hit this Hyundai Elantra with so much force, the driver was ejected and killed. Hall has been charged with vehicular homicide. From the Miami Herald: A Georgia man with a suspended license was charged with homicide Tuesday morning after police said he rocketed a Lamborghini Urus…
Read MoreInvestigating Boating Accidents
Miami Herald: Police say alcohol played no role in fatal boat crash, but bodycam video raises questions The Miami Herald reported today that the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), which investigates all boating accidents in Florida, has come to the conclusion that alcohol was not a factor in the boating crash of a…
Read MoreCruise Excursion Injuries
Cruise passengers often are injured on cruise excursions. These are the side trips for which the cruise lines’ contract with local companies. The excursions are part and parcel of the cruise itself. The excursions are why many people take one particular cruise over another. The cruise lines market the excursions on the cruise lines’ websites.…
Read MoreDeadly Crane Accident at a Construction Site on the Grounds of Mercy Hospital in Miami
The Miami Herald reported on Saturday: A crane crashed at Coconut Grove’s HCA Florida Mercy Hospital Saturday afternoon, killing one person and injuring four others. The crane was on a construction site for a part of the hospital that was being renovated. “We will be contacting the families of the people involved,” said Miami District…
Read MoreWhy Diffuse Axonal Injuries Are Catastrophic Brain Injuries
A Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) even if it is “mild” can have a devastating effect on your life. Brains are vulnerable to injury. The brain is soft. It has the consistency of tofu. It is encased in a hard skull which has a lot of sharp edges on the inside. When there is some sudden…
Read MoreJohn H. (Jack) Hickey Named to 2024 Best Lawyers in America® List
Hickey Law Firm is proud to announce that firm founder John H. (Jack) Hickey has been selected for inclusion in the prestigious Best Lawyers in America® for 2024.Hickey is recognized for his work in Admiralty and Maritime Law, Medical Malpractice Law – Plaintiffs, and Personal Injury Litigation – Plaintiffs. The annual procedure for determining who qualifies for…
Read MoreThings to Know Before You Go – And What to Do If Things Go Wrong
Cruise Safety Tips from a Certified Specialist in Maritime Law Cruises can be great. But there are things to know before you go. Here are some helpful hints. First, you can learn from others. There are a massive number of people going on cruises. And that number increases every year. Over 20 million people took…
Read MoreHow Do I Sue a Cruise Line?
This is a question I get all the time not just from cruise passengers but also from other lawyers. Why? Because most lawyers do not know how to sue a cruise line. All of the lawyers at Hickey Law Firm handle and specialize in these claims – claims of cruise passengers against cruise lines. The answer to the…
Read MoreWhat Is the Law When You Are Involved in an Accident Caused by an Uber or Lyft Driver?
Florida has a lengthy statute, Florida Statute Section 627.748, which applies to you in a ridesharing vehicle. The statute refers to Uber, Lyft, and other rideshare companies as Transportation Network Company(ies) (TNC). A list of rideshare companies to which these laws apply are: Uber Lyft Juno Gett Wingz Ziro Flywheel Grab Bolt Via Curb Gorjek Cabify Didi…
Read MoreFlorida Supreme Court Changes Rules for Medical Malpractice Lawsuits
In a change to the Florida Rules of Appellate Procedure which takes effect immediately, the Florida Supreme Court is making it easier for medical providers to deny medical malpractice lawsuits by changing the procedural rules relating to when malpractice cases can be appealed. Per Florida Politics: The court rejected a motion by the University of…
Read MoreInjuries on the Job Outside of Workers’ Compensation
Injuries on the job in Florida usually involve workers’ compensation. That is, the injured worker usually will be covered by his employer who will carry workers’ comp insurance. If the worker is covered, generally here is what happens. The employer will be in charge of getting the worker all of the medical care the worker needs and to…
Read MoreFatal Nighttime Collision Between Boat and Fisher Island Ferry
A ferry which carries cars, residents and visitors from Watson Island/Miami Beach mainland to the exclusive Fisher Island and back collided with a 30′ boat in dark, early hours Sunday morning. The 30’ pleasure craft sunk as a result of the collision. Tragically, one person died and another sustained serious injuries. PortMiami was closed for…
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