Cruise injury lawyer in Miami

Last updated October 5, 2026.

Cruise Injury Advocates is based in Miami, at The Wells Fargo Center, 333 SE 2nd Ave., Suite 2000. That matters because most cruise lines require passenger injury claims to be filed in Miami, and the federal court that hears them, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, has its Miami courthouses on North Miami Avenue and N.E. Fourth Street.

Passengers who were hurt far from Florida are often surprised that their case belongs in Miami. This page explains what that means in practice: where the court is, the local rules it applies to cruise cases, how long cases take there, how the city's port fits in, and how we work with clients who live elsewhere. Cruise Injury Advocates is the cruise-injury practice of Suro & Rodriguez, PLLC, representing passengers nationwide and worldwide, in English and Spanish. For the cases we handle, see our cruise injury practice areas.

How does a cruise case in Miami work, step by step?

1. The ticket points to Miami. Most cruise tickets contain a forum clause that names the court where passengers must sue. Read why your cruise ticket says you have to sue in Miami.
2. Deadlines run from the injury. A ticket can require written notice within 6 months and a lawsuit within 1 year after the injury (46 U.S.C. 30526(b)).
3. The complaint is filed in federal court. Cases go to the Southern District of Florida, and a complaint filed as an admiralty claim must say "IN ADMIRALTY" under the court's local admiralty rules (Local Admiralty Rule A(4)).
4. The court sets a track and schedule. Under Local Rule 16.1, the judge assigns an expedited, standard or complex track; most civil cases go on the standard track.
5. Mediation is ordered. Under Local Rule 16.2, almost every civil case is referred to mediation before trial, by video if the parties cannot agree on the format.
6. Trial, if needed, is in Miami. Under Local Rule 3.1, actions are tried in their county of origin, subject to the court's power to move a proceeding in the interest of justice.
7. Appeals go to the Eleventh Circuit. Decisions such as Yusko, Holland and Franza, which shape cruise law, came from appeals of cases in this court.

The full sequence, with what you will be asked to do at each stage, is on our page about what happens after you file a cruise injury lawsuit in Miami federal court.

Where is the federal court in Miami?

The Southern District of Florida lists three Miami courthouses. The court's mailing address for the Miami courthouse complex is the Wilkie D. Ferguson, Jr. U.S. Courthouse, 400 North Miami Avenue, Room 8N09.

The court says its Clerk's Office is open to the public from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on regular business days, that a picture ID is required to enter any courthouse, and that public parking lots, with fees, are within walking distance. For Metrorail riders, the court's directions are to exit at Government Center and take the Inner Loop Metromover to the Wilkie D. Ferguson Jr. station, the first stop. Many steps in a case never require a visit at all; see whether you have to travel to Miami for your case.

What rules does the Miami federal court apply?

The court has its own Local Rules, most recently effective December 1, 2025, including a separate set of Local Admiralty and Maritime Rules for claims designated under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 9(h). Those admiralty rules control over the general local rules where they conflict (Local Admiralty Rule A(3)). Several of them matter in passenger cases:

How long do cases take in this court?

The federal judiciary's caseload profile for the Southern District of Florida, for the 12 months ending June 30, 2026, reports 18 judgeships, a median of 21.3 months from filing to trial for civil cases that were tried, a median of 3.4 months from filing to disposition across all civil cases, and 108 civil cases, 2.0 percent, more than 3 years old. Those are court-wide figures, not cruise-only figures. Read how long a cruise injury lawsuit takes in Miami federal court for the stages and their deadlines.

How does PortMiami fit in?

PortMiami is Miami-Dade County's seaport. Its terminal tariff is issued under county authority, and the county's website lists a Seaport Director among its departments. According to the county's 2026 PortMiami directory, the port welcomed 8,564,225 cruise passengers in fiscal year 2025 and has 10 cruise passenger terminals, eight on the north side, Terminal J on the south side and Terminal V on the west side, with cruise berths on Dodge and Lummus Islands. Police services at the port are provided by the Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office through its Seaport Operations Bureau, and Miami-Dade Fire Rescue's Marine Services Bureau runs a fire station there.

Injuries in a terminal, a garage or on a curb before boarding raise different questions from injuries on the ship, including Florida's rules for claims against a county.

What changes the answer?

Your ticket

Forum clauses differ between cruise lines and can change between sailings, so the clause in your own ticket decides where the case goes.

Where you live

Residence does not usually change the forum, but it affects travel and, for children, who may act for them. Passengers from outside the U.S. can read whether you can bring a claim if you are not a U.S. resident.

Who else is involved

A claim against a foreign tour company raises separate questions of jurisdiction and service abroad; see whether you can sue a foreign tour operator in a U.S. court.

Whether the cruise line files to limit liability

After some incidents, the vessel owner files its own action under Local Admiralty Rule F; see how the Limitation of Liability Act works against passengers.

How the case is pleaded

Whether a claim is designated as an admiralty claim affects procedure, including jury trial rights under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 38(e). That decision is made at the start of the case.

What does a Miami case look like for someone who lives elsewhere?

For example, imagine a couple from Texas whose cruise left from Galveston. The wife is hurt in a fall on board, and their ticket names federal court in Miami. They contact our office by phone and email. We review the ticket and the deadlines, send written notice to the cruise line, and ask it to preserve video and records. The complaint is filed in the Southern District of Florida.

Over the following months, most of the case happens without the couple traveling: written discovery by mail and email, her deposition by video under the federal rules where the parties agree or the court orders it, and mediation by video because the parties choose that format. If the case is tried, it is tried in Miami, and they plan that trip with us well in advance.

This example is hypothetical, not a past case or a result.

What mistakes do passengers make about Miami cases?

• Hiring based only on where they live. A case that must be filed in Miami federal court follows that court's rules and procedures.
• Filing in the wrong court. A suit filed somewhere the ticket does not allow invites a fight over the forum clause, costing time against a short deadline.
• Assuming they must move or travel often. Many steps can be handled remotely.
• Waiting until the deadline is close. Notice can be due within 6 months, and a ticket can require suit within 1 year. See how to give a cruise line written notice of your claim.
• Treating a terminal injury like a ship injury. Different rules can apply at PortMiami than on board.

What should you do this week?

1. Find your ticket contract and the clause that names the court.
2. Write down the notice and lawsuit deadlines from the ticket.
3. Gather medical records, photos and the names of witnesses.
4. Ask the cruise line in writing to preserve video and records; see how to get the cruise line's video before it disappears.
5. Do not sign a release or accept a credit before reading our page on releases and future cruise credits.
6. Contact our Miami office to talk about your options.

Questions passengers ask about Miami cases

• What happens at mediation in a cruise injury case?
• How do cruise injury lawyers get paid in Florida?
• How is a cruise injury case different from an ordinary Florida injury case?
• Do you have to prove the cruise line knew about the hazard?
• Is the cruise line responsible for a crew member's careless act?
• What if you were partly at fault for your cruise injury?
• Can a cruise ticket limit how much the cruise line has to pay?
• Your child was hurt on a cruise: what is different about the claim?
• A family member died on a cruise: what happens first?
• Who investigates a crime on a cruise ship?
• What must a cruise ship's medical staff provide after a sexual assault?
• What safety rules does federal law impose on cruise ships?
• Where can you see official cruise ship crime statistics?

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to live in Florida for you to represent me?

No. We represent passengers nationwide and worldwide from our Miami office, and many steps of a case can happen without traveling to Miami.

Can I meet with you in Spanish?

Yes. We work with clients in English and Spanish.

Which courthouse will my case be in?

The court lists three Miami courthouses. Where a hearing is held depends on the judge's courtroom, and your lawyer will tell you before any in-person appearance.

Are cruise cases in Miami heard by a jury?

It depends on how the claims are filed. Under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 38(e), the rules do not create a right to a jury trial on claims designated as admiralty claims under Rule 9(h).

Where do appeals go?

To the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. Yusko, Holland and Franza are examples of its cruise decisions in appeals from this court.

What if I was hurt at the port, not on the ship?

Different rules can apply, because claims against Miami-Dade County, which runs the port, follow Florida's sovereign immunity statute.

This page is general information, not legal advice. Contact a lawyer about your specific situation.