How Do I Hire a Cruise Ship Injury Lawyer If I Live in Another State?
National Legal Representation for Cruise Ship Injury Victims
If you were injured on an international cruise that touched a United States port with one of the major cruise lines, you will likely need to a hire a cruise injury lawyer in Florida. It doesn’t not matter what state you reside in, you can still hire a cruise ship lawyer in Florida and bring a claim in Florida. Hiring a cruise ship injury lawyer from Florida is the best lawyer an injured passenger could hire to get appropriate representation for a cruise injury case because typically all such claims must be filed in federal court in Miami, the venue specifically chosen by the cruise line in its terms and conditions. At Perkins Law Offices, we handle national cruise ship injury cases for passengers from every state, U.S. territory, and abroad. Geography never limits your rights, and it never limits our ability to take decisive legal action.
This page explains, in clear terms, how to hire a cruise ship injury lawyer if you live in another state, how national maritime representation works, and what steps you need to take to protect your claim under strict filing deadlines found in most cruise line ticket contracts.
How do I hire a cruise ship injury lawyer if I live in another state?
Why Out-of-State Representation Works in Cruise Ship Injury Cases
Cruise ship negligence, accident, and injury cases do not get filed where the injured passenger lives. Instead, cruise lines—Carnival Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean Cruise Line, Norwegian Cruise Line, MSC Cruises, Princess Cruises, Celebrity Cruises, Regent Seven Seas Cruises, Cunard Line, and others—require lawsuits to be filed in a specific federal court, most commonly:
The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida (Miami).
This means even if you live in California, your case will need to be filed in Miami. If you boarded the ship in Galveston, Texas, the cruise line ticket still governs and requires federal jurisdiction in Florida. If you live in Ohio or Michigan and got injured on a private island run by Carnival Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean Cruise Line, Norwegian Cruise Lines, Celebrity Cruises, Princess Cruises, Disney Cruise Line such as Celebration Caye (Bahamas RCL), Great Stirrup Cay (Bahamas NCL), Harvest Caye (NCL Belize), Castaway Kay (Bahamas Disney). Labadee (Haiti RCL). Even if you are from New York, and bought your ticket through a New York travel agent, the ticket contract binds you to Florida jurisdiction and maritime law requirements. It’s actually a good thing to have maritime jurisdiction in Florida because personal injury laws elsewhere in foreign countries are typically less favorable.
Because of this, hiring a Miami cruise ship injury lawyer with national capabilities—regardless of where you live—is not only normal but strategically advantageous. Attorney Alex Perkins is widely recognized for handling complex, high-value maritime injury cases nationwide. The location of the victim does not restrict our ability to represent them effectively.Perkins Personal Injury Lawyers has settled cases for clients without the need for then to ever have to come to Florida.
Understanding How Jurisdiction Works in Cruise Ship Negligence Cases
Cruise ship negligence claims differ from traditional personal injury cases. Maritime law, federal statutes, and ticket-contract limitations control:
1. Duty of Care Under Maritime Law
Cruise lines owe passengers a duty to provide reasonable care under the circumstances, including safe premises, adequate security, properly trained staff, competent medical care, and hazard-free walking surfaces.
2. Breach
Most injury cases arise from clear operational failures, such as:
Unsafe flooring or wet decks
Inadequate maintenance
Failure to warn of dangerous conditions
Negligent medical treatment
- Hot decks and burned feet
Poor security or staffing issues
- Lack of safe ingress and and egress from ship to shore
Shore excursion negligence
- Gangway set up
3. Causation
Maritime law requires showing that the cruise line’s breach directly caused your injury. This is proven through:
Incident reports if obtained
- Injury statements
Surveillance footage (CCTV)
Photographs
Medical records
- Accident reconstruction
Witness statements
- Medical experts
4. Damages
Damages may include:
Medical expenses
Lost wages
Future medical care
- Out of pocket expenses
Loss of earning capacity
- Inconvenience
Pain and suffering
Disability or permanent impairment
- Lost capacity for enjoyment of life
These legal elements apply nationwide, no matter where the passenger lives. That is why hiring an out-of-state maritime lawyer is practical—and often essential.
How to Hire a Cruise Ship Injury Lawyer from Another State (Step-by-Step)
Step 1 — Contact a Maritime Lawyer Who Handles National Cases
Your first step is to reach out to a firm that routinely represents clients nationwide in cruise ship accident claims. Perkins Law Offices provides remote consultations, virtual meetings, and full national case coverage. Find us on social media or our website and fill out the form or just call!
Step 2 — Provide Key Documents and Evidence Digitally
You do not need to visit our office. All materials can be provided electronically:
Photos or videos from the incident
Medical records
Cruise ticket and booking documents
Written communications from the cruise line
Port or ship incident reports
Step 3 — We Review Venue, Jurisdiction, and Ticket-Contract Requirements
Every cruise line inserts specific legal requirements into their ticket contracts, including:
Time limits (usually 6 months to file a claim notice; 1 year to sue)
Exclusive filing locations
Required pre-suit procedures
Understanding these terms is critical—especially for out-of-state passengers.
Step 4 — Sign a Retainer Agreement Digitally
You can hire us from any state through secure electronic signatures. No travel required.
Step 5 — We Begin Immediate Evidence Preservation
For maritime claims, early preservation of evidence is everything. We:
Demand surveillance footage
Secure witness statements
Obtain ship medical logs
Request incident records
Notify the cruise line of representation
Step 6 — We File Your Case in the Correct Federal Court
Even if you live thousands of miles away, your attorney must file your lawsuit in the venue required by maritime law. This is where a Miami-based national cruise injury lawyer becomes indispensable.
Step 7 — You Participate Remotely While We Handle Proceedings
Most clients never travel for their case.
Depositions, conferences, and document exchanges are done remotely. Our team handles the litigation while you focus on recovery.
Real Examples of Out-of-State Clients Represented by Perkins Law Offices
Client #1 — California Passenger With a Slipped on Lido Deck
A passenger from San Diego slipped on an unmarked wet deck surface. The case required filing in Miami federal court. We secured compensation without the client ever traveling to Florida.
Client #2 — Indiana Passenger Injured During a Shore Excursion
A cruise line tour operator in Belize failed to properly tie up the tender to the pier causing the boat to move on during debarking and client to break leg falling between boat and dock. We handled all proceedings from Miami agains the cruise line and tour company. The client remained in Indiana the entire time.
Client #3 — Texas Passenger Injured by Negligent Shipboard Medical Care
A cardiac-related incident was improperly handled by ship medical staff. The case was filed in the Southern District of Florida. The client only appeared remotely.
These cases illustrate one fact:
Out-of-state passengers routinely hire national cruise ship injury lawyers located in Miami—and win.
Why Hiring a Local Lawyer in Your Home State Is Often Not Enough
A lawyer in your home state may be strong in personal injury law, but cruise ship injury cases require specialized maritime experience and the ability to litigate in the venue mandated by the cruise line.
Local attorneys typically cannot:
File in Miami federal court
Navigate maritime jurisdiction
Interpret cruise line ticket contracts
Handle international evidence issues
Deal with cruise line corporate defense teams
A national maritime lawyer solves all of these issues and ensures your case is filed correctly—before the strict one-year deadline expires.
Common Questions: Hiring a Cruise Ship Injury Lawyer from Another State
Can I hire a cruise ship injury lawyer even if I never travel to Florida?
Yes. Most clients never travel. Consultations, filings, and depositions are handled virtually.
Is it normal for cruise injury victims to hire lawyers from another state?
Yes. Most passengers live outside Florida, but Miami is the required filing venue for many cruise lines.
Do I have to meet the lawyer in person before hiring them?
No. Perkins Law Offices completes the entire intake and hiring process remotely. Of course you will speak via phone and Zoom video conference. Mr. Perkins believes it’s best for the client to know their lawyer and to have a personal connection.
How fast should I hire a lawyer after the injury?
Immediately. Cruise lines have tight deadlines and evidence disappears and memories get fuzzy. The ticket also mandates a written 6-month notice letter and 1-year lawsuit filing deadline called a statute of limitations.
Can a national cruise ship injury lawyer handle my case if English is not my first language?
Yes. Our office represents clients globally and provides multilingual support.
Does it cost more to hire a lawyer from another state?
No. We work on a contingency fee—you pay nothing unless we win! No upfront fees to hire a cruise injury lawyer. Why Wait?
Distance Does Not Limit Your Rights. We Handle National Cruise Ship Injury Cases Every Day. Don’t Forfeit Your Cruise Injury Case, you May be Entitled to Big Money.
If you suffered an injury aboard a cruise ship—no matter where you live—you can hire an experienced cruise ship injury lawyer who handles national cases and understands the maritime laws cruise lines use to protect themselves.
Perkins Law Offices represents passengers from every state in the U.S. and internationally.
If your case requires filing in Miami federal court, we are already here—with the experience, resources, and legal authority to act immediately.
Contact Perkins Law Offices for a national case evaluation today.
