Maritime Expert Witnesses in Florida

Maritime, Slip Trip & Fall - marina safety, boating accidents, collisions/allisions, investigation, ship, yachts, seaworthiness, captain responsibilities, crew, passenger safety, Rules of the Road, equipment failure, sinking, drowning, vessel operation, safety, sport fishing, charter boat, jet ski, kayak

Captain David G. Bacon, a U.S. Coast Guard licensed vessel captain and Boating Safety & Compliance Consultant who is available as an expert witness on cases involving; boating accidents, slip & falls, personal injuries, collisions and allisions, issues of responsibilities and liabilities aboard vessels and on gangways and docks and piers, drowning and vessel grounding or sinking. I am available to travel for investigations, inspections and testimony. Passenger/crew interaction, training and safety orientation are areas where many liabilities are created due to negligent actions/inactions, and I have experience opining on those issues based upon Rules of the Road and other regulations, and standard duty of care and safety protocols. I have served as a vessel charter captain for 35 years, specializing in; crew training, safety procedures, crew drills and practice, passenger safety orientation. During that lengthy career I have had no accident or injury claims because I am a diligent...

Miami, Florida

Maritime, Accident Reconstruction - Admiralty Law, Marine & Maritime Incident Analysis & Accident Reconstruction, AZIPOD Ships, Podded Ships, Commercial Vessel, Passenger, Cruise Ship, Tug, Barge, Towing, Pilot, Piloting, Navigation, Seamanship, Rules of the Road, Boating Safety, Boating Accident, Yacht, Pleasure Craft, Container Ship

After attending the United States Merchant Marine Academy, Captain Jacobsen served as an officer in the U.S. Merchant Marine for nine years. He sailed in many positions, attained his master’s license, and has been a Port of Miami harbor pilot since 1994, including serving as Chairman. He has piloted yachts, tugs & barges, and ships of all types and sizes including Azipod ships, podded ships, freighters, tankers, container ships, ferries, cruise ships, passenger vessels, naval vessels, research vessels, and tall ships. Active in boating and yachting all of his life, Captain Jacobsen is a member of a yacht club in Miami where he serves on various committees. Captain Jacobsen remains an active pilot and avid boater to this day. Harbor Pilot: actively providing State & Federal licensed pilotage services to all types of ships, including Azipod ships, cruise ships, NeoPanamax container ships, tugs & barges, yachts, and other vessels of unlimited size and tonnage in Port of Miami. Have co...

Miami, Florida

Maritime, Emergency Medicine - Cruise Ship Medicine, Maritime Medicine, Shipboard Medical Care, Cruise Ship Doctor, Cruise Ship Medical Negligence, Cruise Ship Medical Malpractice, Standards of Care, Emergency Medicine, Critical Care, Remote Medical Care, Evacuation, Aeromedical Medicine, Occupational Medicine, Fitness for Duty Evaluations, Telemedicine

Maritime & Cruise Ship Medical Expertise Dr. Victor Gomez has over a decade of experience delivering medical and occupational health services aboard major international cruise lines including Azamara, Royal Caribbean, MSC Cruises, and The Apollo Group. He served as Senior Medical Officer managing passenger and crew medical emergencies and is well versed in the cruise ship medical standard of care governing shipboard diagnosis, treatment, documentation, and medical evacuation decisions. His responsibilities included triage, emergency response, medical documentation, outbreak management, and regulatory compliance within onboard medical centers. Dr. Gomez also directed occupational health programs for multinational crews including fitness for duty assessments, health surveillance, and return to work protocols aligned with maritime medical standards. Through his consultancy VGMO Colombia SAS, Dr. Gomez advises offshore platforms and maritime operations on health system readiness, occupa...

Ft Lauderdale, Florida

Meteorology, Maritime - Cruise Lines, Maritime, Forensic, Marine, Ocean, Wave, Wind, Ship, Vessel, Weather, Storm, Hurricane, Meteorology, Container, Cargo, Tanker, Damage, Sea, Harbor

Forensic maritime meteorological expert witness providing consultation, investigation, data gathering, report writing, rebuttal, deposition, and court testimony services. Extensive cruise industry experience to include hurricane, tropical, and severe weather knowledge. Emmy award winning former television meteorologist with public speaking, teaching, and on camera experience. American Meteorological Society Certified Consulting Meteorologist (board member).

Saint Johns, Florida

Maritime, Safety - Oil tanker, Chemical tanker, Container ship, Bulk Carrier, General Cargo vessel, Loss Control, Accident investigation, Incident investigation, Regulatory violation, Regulatory issue, Cargo contamination, Safety issues, Stability issues, First Responder, Training, Vessel management, Personal injury

Master Mariner Unlimited Tonnage, Liaison to USCG for Emergency Response to Key Bridge Collapse, Baltimore MD March - July 2024, Liaison to USCG for Emergency Response to GRANDE COSTA D’AVORIO fire and salvage July - Aug 2023, Liaison to USCG for Emergency Response to SPIRIT OF NORFOLK fire and salvage June 2022, Liaison to USCG for emergency response to capsized liftboat SEACOR POWER Apr - Aug 2021, Safety Officer for salvage of car carrier MV GOLDEN RAY 2019, OCIMF SIRE Inspector Category 1, Tanker Management Self Assessment 3 (TMSA3) Solutions, Marine Safety Advisor for Petroleum Load and Discharge Operations, Expert witness for maritime litigation, Safety Assessments / ISM Audits for Commercial and U.S. Military Sealift Command vessels, 20+ year’s in command of 15 ships, including tankers, Ro-Ro / Container, and break bulk. Vessel superintendent for Oil / Chemical Tank vessels, STCW certified instructor / assessor, Simulator Training Instructor, USCG Chemical Transportation Advi...

jupiter, Florida

Maritime, Transportation - yacht, shipyard, tug, barge, longshoreman, crew, seaman, stevedore, super yacht, workmanship, limitation of liability, appraisal, salvage, damage, sailing, cargo, sinking, collision, allision, offshore

Knoll Marine Services is committed to providing the best marine surveying and consulting services to the maritime industry by performing our job safely; with prompt and accurate reporting. Servicing yachts, cargo, inland and offshore commercial maritime sectors. Services include, but are not limited to: Condition Surveys, Appraisals, Damage Surveys, Salvage, On/Off Hire Surveys, Pre-Purchase Surveys, Trip in Tow Surveys, Load Out Surveys, New Construction and Repair Project Management, Ultrasonic Thickness Measurement, Ship Checks for Engineering and Drawings. Matt has extensive experience in shipyard repair of yachts, tugs, barges, and offshore support vessels. Including working with composite materials, steel and aluminum. Matt has extensive experience liaising with classification societies, and United States Coast Guard concerning vessel inspections and compliance issues. Matt regularly performs appraisals of commercial vessels and yachts for many purposes, including limitation...

Land O Lakes, Florida

Maritime, Accident Reconstruction - Boat Diminished Valuation, Boating Accident Reconstruction, Vessel collisions, Sinking, Boat Fire Reconstruction, Maritime Injury and Death, Cruise ships Accidents, Jones Act investigations, Boat Construction and repair, Marine Engines, US Coast Guard (USCG) (DOT) (DEA), Navigation Rules, Fire, Storm Damage, Dock Damage, Lakes

(1) Numerous experiences as a certified expert witness in the Marine Field in the past 42 years, including Diminished Valuation, Accident Reconstruction, Vessel collisions, Sinking’s, Fire Reconstruction, Injury and Death, Cruise ships Accidents, Jones Act investigations, and noncompliance, Boat Construction, and repair and Quality Control, Marine Engines, and Installations, Testifying in the United States, Great Britain, BVIs, Mexico, Spain, Puerto Rico, France, Poland, and Greece. (2) Experience with Docks (loading and unloading), Boatyards, and Marinas and Marina Dockage, Boat Construction, Repair, Quality Control, Boat, and Ship Construction, as well as Management of New Construction and Repair. (3) Experienced boat builder Ocean Horse Label (before HIN’s) 178FRP Commercial boats, 3 Steel, 3 Aluminum, 7 Wood, 8 sail 116FRP l, and from 2007 on under the AMS HIN Experienced and licensed operator (Master since 1963). (4) Experienced Marine Engineer License 4000 Horsepower or greate...

Lynn Haven, Florida

Maritime, Aquatics Safety - SCUBA Diving , Commercial diving , Diving casualties, Mixed Gas diving, Surface Supplied diving, salvage work, rigging, underwater search, recompression chamber, scientific diving, Military diving, Emergency Response diving, ROV operations, dive equipment, under-sea operations, OSHA policy, project Management

Over 35 years of direct responsibility for complex diving, salvage, and open ocean recovery operations. Expertise encompassing the following areas: • Dive Program Management. Participated in a complete reevaluation of all USN military and civilian diving policies resulting in publication of a new OPNAV 3150 Navy Diving Policy instruction. Revised USN Diving Manual (Rev. 7) to reflect new policy. Chairman of the Chief Warrant Officer Advisory Team (CWOT) tasked with advising Navy leadership on all aspects of diving, salvage, and special diving operations. • Dive Instruction and training. High Risk Training Officer for USN dive program. Navy Personal Qualification Standard (PQS) manager for entire Navy Dive Program. Updated and published Navy safety program and qualification manual. • Dive Safety enforcement. Dive Safety Officer for three (3) Naval Repair activities, and three (3) Mobile diving and salvage teams; published fleet wide dive safety policy/procedures. • Dive In...

Venice, Florida

Maritime - Offshore, Coastal, Oil & Gas, Ship repair, Offshore supply vessel, Vessel maintenance, Yachts, Uscg inspections, Sailing, Uscg regulations, Navigation, Voyage planning, Accident and fraud, Cruise ships, Passenger vessels, Charter boats

Eric Watson Master Mariner | Maritime Operations, Safety & Passenger Vessel Expert Captain Eric Watson is a U.S. Coast Guard–licensed Master with more than 24 years of command and maritime operations experience aboard passenger vessels, small cruise ships, offshore supply vessels, charter vessels, sailing vessels, motor yachts, and private vessels up to 280 feet. He has logged more than 300,000 nautical miles and has served in command roles involving inland, near coastal, offshore, and ocean operations. Captain Watson has served as Captain on U.S.-flag passenger vessels operating under USCG Subchapter K and Subchapter T, with direct responsibility for vessel safety, regulatory compliance, navigation, crew management, emergency response, passenger safety, vessel inspections, and operational decision-making. His experience includes high-visibility guest service environments where safety, seamanship, regulatory compliance, and risk management are critical. His areas of expert analys...