Charles R. Lipcon

Charles R. Lipcon has represented victims of cruise ship personal injury and cruise line sexual assault and claims for more than 50 years. His firm, Lipcon, Margulies & Winkleman, P.A., has successfully handled more than 3,000 cases and recovered well over $450 million on behalf of their clients.

Mr. Lipcon was named "Lawyer of the Year" in Admiralty & Maritime by US News & World Report (Miami) in 2020 and his firm is named to "Best Law Firms" by US News & World Report.

Mr. Lipcon and his firm can assist with the following types of accidents and injuries:
- Cruise Ship Passenger Accidents
- Cruise Ship Sexual Assault
- Cruise Ship Crewmember Injuries
- Cruise ship shore excursions
- Cruise Ship medical malpractice
- Cruise ship class actions
- Boating, yacht, jet ski, parasailing, scuba diving, snorkeling accidents
- Barge, cargo, tanker & fishing accidents and injuries
- Hotel, Resort & Vacation accidents and injuries
- Hotel, Resort & Vacation sexual assaults

Mr. Lipcon has written several publications including "Unsafe on the High Seas", "The Cruise Line Law Reporter" and "Seafarers Rights". He has been featured on major news networks like CNN, MSNBC, ABC, Fox News, and more.

Contact Mr. Lipcon and his team for a free confidential consultation.

University of Miami School of Law

J.D. (1971) | Law

University of Miami

B.A. (1968) | Government & Philosophy

Founding Attorney

Lipcon, Margulies & Winkleman, P.A.

1971 - Current

Cruise Line Law Reporter

Lipcon, Margulies & Winkleman, P.A.

Unsafe on the High Seas

I. Adels Publishing

2008

Seaman's Rights in the United States

I. Adels Publishing

1989

Help for the Auto Accident Victim

I. Adels Publishing

1984

ABC Nightline, 20/20, CNN Headline News, Fox News, NBC Nightly News, the Today Show and MSNBC, TV Appearances/Interviews

Admiralty Law Lectures, Guest Lecturer, University of Miami

Admiralty Law Lectures, Guest Lecturer, St. Thomas School of Law

High Stakes on the High Seas: How to Successfully Handle Cruise Ship Injury or Death Cases, Louisiana Trial Lawyers Association Convention

2005

Update on Cruise Ship Liability and Forum Selection/ Arbitration Clauses, American Trial Lawyers Association Convention

2006

Best Lawyers in America

Best Lawyers

2025

2016-2025

AV Preeminent Peer Rating

Martindale-Hubbell

2024

For Over 25 Consecutive Years

Best Law Firms

US News & World Report

2024

2016-2024

Super Lawyer

Super Lawyers

2024

2007-2024

10.0 Superb Rating

Avvo

2023

American Association for Justice

Member

Current

Florida Justice Association

Member

Current

American Bar Association

Member

Current

Florida Admiralty Trial Lawyer's Association

Founder

Current

Federal Bar Association

Member

Current

Florida

Since 1971

5th Circuit

11th Circuit

D.C. Circuit

U.S. Court of Federal Claims

U.S. District Court, District of Colorado

U.S. District Court, Southern District of Texas

U.S. District Court, Southern, Middle & Northern Districts of Florida

U.S. Supreme Court

• Free Consultation
• Contingent Fees

Q. Boarding a ship with out the permission of the Capt. is it illegal? and is it a act of piracy?

May 16, 2013

A: Yes, boarding a ship without the permission of the captain or an officer or crewmember designated by him is a violation of international maritime law. At the very minimum, the individual boarding the vessel without permission may be considered a stowaway, but in many countries, doing so qualifies as piracy and the guilty party may be subject to fines as well as imprisonment. However, when an individual boards a vessel for the purposes of saving a life, preventing a personal injury or property damage, they are not considered to be committing piracy.

Q. Can someone please help me...who is liable in a boating accident, the person operating the vessel, the owner, or both?

May 16, 2013

A: A) When a boating accident occurs, several people can be held liable for the incident, depending on what exactly caused the accident to occur in the first place, who was operating the vessel and where exactly the accident took place. If the accident occurred on navigable waters, meaning waters that are used for commerce or transportation purposes, then federal admiralty and maritime law could apply. If the accident occurred on non-navigable waters (a small lake, pond, etc.) then state laws apply. Federal maritime laws carry much more stringent penalties and can hold more people liable for one accident, whereas state laws often fail to properly prosecute individuals or companies and can resulting potentially negligent parties to escape responsibility.

Aside from where the accident occurred, the next factor that must be established is the cause of the boating accident. If general negligence was to blame, such as speeding, boater inexperience, boating under the influence, etc., then the person who was actually operating the boat will hold primary responsibility for the incident but the owner may also still be held responsible depending on the particular facts involved. If the person operating the vessel was an employee of a company, such as a ferry boat operator, then the operator and the owner of the vessel may both be held liable for the incident, the owner being faulted for failure to properly educate their employees on maritime safety laws, for employing negligent operators or for allowing someone to operate their watercraft knowing they were not suitable pilots.

When mechanical failure is to blame, if there was an issue with the vessel that was not foretold to the operator or undetectable to him, then the owner and the manufacturer are usually the ones that liability would fall upon. ... Read More