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Our Maritime Blog

Title: The Cruise Ship Passenger-Overcoming the Fear Factor

Author: Paul M. Hoffman

Category: Overcoming the Fear Factor

Date: 2011-10-18

Some of my prospective clients are fearful of going forward with their cases against NCL, RCCL, Celebrity or Carnival because they are afraid of taking on such a big, multi-billion dollar corporation with their "teams" of lawyers and unlimited war chests. There are several reasons why these fears are unfounded and should never prevent anyone from going ahead with a lawsuit.

First and foremost, all fear-based decisions are wrong. This applies to every day life as well as suing the cruise lines. Fear-based decisions are grounded in worry over some future catastrophe that may never and usually always never comes to pass. You should keep in mind that worrying is like paying interest on a debt you may never owe.

Secondly and more to the point is that Norwegian Cruise Lines, Royal Caribbean Cruises, Ltd., Celebrity Cruises, Inc., and Carnival are represented by a defense lawyer just like the injured passenger is represented by a plaintiff's lawyer. Your resources in taking on these cruise lines are often greater than the cruise lines can marshal in their defense. This is because the plaintiff lawyer has to be more resourceful and more creative in making your case than the defense lawyer has to be in defending it.

It is a lot harder to build a house than it is to knock it down. Plaintiff cruise lawyers such as Hoffman Law Firm have been litigating against cruise line defense lawyers for more than two decades. Defense lawyers defend cases by looking for inconsistencies which they argue indicates that a plaintiff may be untruthful. But as Henry David Thoreau once said: "Inconsistencies are the hobgoblin of small minds." Plaintiff lawyers must be more creative than their defense counterparts because they are building the house (your case)and by being more creative, they more than even the playing field.

The cruise lines typically assign one lawyer to defend the case against the lawyer you have retained. As long as you are truthful and your lawyer believes in your case, you really have nothing to fear from the process.

Hoffman Law Firm, Paul M. Hoffman, P.A.
Phone: 954-707-5040

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National & International Representation

Hoffman Law Firm, Paul M. Hoffman, P.A., is a nationwide firm that represents clients in cases against Ft. Lauderdale cruise lines, Carnival Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises, Disney Cruise Line, Magical Cruise Line Company, Oceania Cruises, Azamara Club Cruises, Silversea Cruises, Discover Cruise Line and Celebration Cruise Line. Attorney Hoffman is licensed to practice in Florida and Massachusetts.