John H. Hickey

John H. (Jack) Hickey (born Miami, Florida, U.S.A.) is a nationally recognized trial lawyer and authority on cruise ship accidents and injuries.

Education

John H. (Jack) Hickey graduated from Miami Palmetto Senior High School in the top 2 percent of his class and received his B.A. from Florida State University in 1976 Phi Beta Kappa; Magna Cum Laude). He graduated from Duke Law School in 1980 and was admitted to The Florida Bar that same year.

Career Experience

Hickey is Board Certified by The Florida Bar in two areas: Civil Trial Law and Admiralty and Maritime Law. He is also Board Certified as a Trial Lawyer by the National Board of Trial Advocacy (NBTA) the only national certification program for trial attorneys accredited by the American Bar Association.

For the first 17 years of his career, Hickey worked at large law firms and then his own firm representing cruise lines, railroads, and other self-insured Defendants as well as insurance companies and engaging in personal injury defense, commercial litigation, and family law. Hickey started his career at Smathers & Thompson and went on to Hornsby & Whisenand, where he became a partner. In 1988, Hickey and The Honorable Gary R. Jones founded Hickey & Jones, P.A. In 1999, Judge Jones left and became a Federal Magistrate in the Northern District of Florida, and the firm changed its name to Hickey Law Firm, P.A.

Sixteen years ago, Hickey made the transition to representing plaintiffs in personal injury suits. The Defendants in those suits include cruise lines and insurance companies. He is a member of the Multi-Million Dollar Forum based on the cases in which he has obtained settlements or verdicts in excess of $2 Million.

Hickey has appeared on national TV including cable and the major networks over 50 times in the last 5 years, being interviewed AbOUT cruise ship disasters and accidents, and crime occurring on cruise ships including [...] assault and [...]. Hickey also has testified before the U.S. House of Representatives Commerce Committee about these cruise ship issues.

Since 1980, Hickey has been trying personal injury and wrongful death cases in the areas of admiralty and maritime, railroad, medical malpractice, product liability, and general liability.

Leadership Roles

Hickey is rated A/V by Martindale-Hubbell (the international listing of attorneys, a rating achieved by only 5% of attorneys). The rating indicates that the attorney “has reached the height of professional excellence” and is “recognized for the highest levels of skill and integrity”. He is also listed in Who’s Who in America, Who’s Who in American Law, and Who’s Who in Emerging Leaders in America. He has been chosen by other lawyers as a: “Top Lawyer in South Florida” in the areas of personal injury and maritime in the South Florida Legal Guide (2004–Present); “Legal Elite” in Florida Trend Magazine(top 1.7% of attorneys) (2006–Present); and Superlawyer in the area of personal injury in Superlawyers.com (2006–Present).

Hickey is a member of The Florida Bar Board of Governors. The Board of Governors is the governing body of all 95,000 members of The Florida Bar, that is, every lawyer in Florida. He is also a Past President of the Dade County Bar Association (DCBA) (2003 – 2004). The DCBA is the largest voluntary bar association in Florida.

Hickey also is a Lifetime Member of the Florida Council of Bar Association Presidents, a Fellow and Lifetime Member of The Florida Bar Foundation, and a Sustaining Member of the American Association for Justice (AAJ)(formerly the Association of Trial Lawyers of America). He also serves on the Board of Directors of the AAJ PAC.

Hickey lectures and writes articles on trial practice and on substantive law including Maritime and Admiralty. He is a past Chair of The Florida Bar Admiralty Law Committee and is Past Chair of the Admiralty Law Section of the American Association for Justice.

Notable Cases

On Friday, May 19, 2006, a jury in Miami-Dade County Circuit Court awarded $3,384,185 to a former cruise ship first officer against Royal Caribbean Cruise Line. The Final Judgment is in excess of $3.4 Million. The case is styled: Goran Bakalar, Plaintiff v. Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. 11th Judicial Circuit Case No.: CASE NUMBER: 03-24475-CA-01.

On Friday, May 13, 2011, Federal Judge Ursula Ungaro awarded $2,998,155.70 to a Carnival cruise ship passenger who was injured in a slip and fall accident. The case is styled: Denise Kaba, plaintiff v. Carnival Corporation, defendant; United States District Court Southern District of Florida Case No. 10-21627-CIV-UNGARO.

Published Articles and Speaking Engagements

Hickey has been mentioned in multiple issues on the Miami Herald regarding his work He has been quoted on the behavior of for profit schools who defrauded the government and worked against its' students.

Hickey appears on media such as CNN, MSNBC, NBC, ABC, HLN, CBS FOX NEWS, and Court TV for opinion on cruise ship incidents such as slip and fall incidents, negligence, [...] assault, passenger/crew member disappearances, cruise ship pirates, ship tilts, crimes, fires, captain negligence, gas leaks, passenger rights, and breakdowns.

Articles and Lectures

Speaker: Brandeis National Committee Aventura/Hollywood Chapter “Lunch and Learn” on topics regarding medical malpractice and [...] at sea (April 2013)

Author: “Death on the High Seas Act: What Is It and When Does It Apply and How to Overcome Obstacles Created Because of the Act” paper prepared for the Florida Justice Association Workhorse Seminar (February 2013)

Author: “How to Interview the Client to Get the Story on Damages” paper prepared for the American Association for Justice Winter Convention in Miami (February 2013)

Panel Member: Dade County Bar Association Bench and Bar Conference (February 2013)

Author: “Injuries on Deck” article published in American Association for Justice’s Trial Magazine (August 2012).

Speaker: “Practicing with Professionalism” seminar hosted by the Young Lawyers Division of The Florida Bar in Miami (April 2012).

Author: “Predictable Defenses in a TBI Case” paper prepared for American Association for Justice Litigating Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Cases Seminar in Miami (March 2012).

Lecturer: March 2012 American Association for Justice Litigating Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Cases Seminar on Predictable Defenses.

Lecturer: February 2012 American Association for Justice Winter Convention in Phoenix at Litigation at Sunrise on Cruise Ship Slip and Falls.

Author: “Statues of Limitations and Venue: When and Where You Have to File a Claim” paper prepared for The Net, an AARP Legal Services Network publication (January 2012).

Author: “Cruise Ship Slip and Falls: A Primer” paper for the American Association for Justice Winter Convention in Miami (February 2011).

Lecturer: February 2011 American Association for Justice Winter Convention in Miami at Litigation at Sunrise on Cruise Ship Injuries and Actions: What You Need to Know.

Presenter: “The Athens Convention: What Is It and Why Do We Need to Know About It?” July 2009 American Association for Justice Annual Convention in San Francisco.

Testified before Congress: March 27, 2007 Hickey was invited to testify before the House Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation on cruise line issues.

Lecturer: July 2007 American Association for Justice Annual Convention in Chicago before the Maritime Section on passenger claims against cruise lines.

Author: Paper on passenger claims against cruise lines to be presented at the July 2007 American Association for Justice Annual Convention in Chicago before the Maritime Section.

Presenter: “Masters of the Courtroom”, sponsored by the Dade County Trial Lawyers Association in conjunction with the University of Miami School of Law (October 2003).

Author: “Evolving Standards of Jones Act Negligence”; paper prepared for lecture to be given at Association of Trial Lawyers of America Annual Convention at Atlanta, Georgia (July 2002).

Lecturer: “Alternative Theories of Liability in Slip and Fall Cases” at the Association of Trial Lawyers of America Annual Convention, Montreal, Canada (August 2001).

Author: “Slip and Falls: Alternative Theories of Liability”, TRIAL Magazine (April 2001).

Author: “In Defense of the Stevedore”, P & I International (Winter 1996-1997).

Lecturer: “Cruising in the 90s; Defense of Cruise Lines, Crew and Passenger Claims” The Florida Bar (1994; and preparation of paper in connection therewith).

Lecturer: “Defending Flood Insurance Claims” at the National Flood Insurance Conferences at the invitation of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (Columbus, Ohio 1991; Scottsdale, Arizona 1992; Orlando, Florida 1993).

Author: “Credit Agreements Required in Writing; the New Statute of Frauds in Florida”, The Florida Bar Journal (June 1990).

Lecturer: “Securities Litigation” Florida Institute of CPAs (1990).

Lecturer: “Securities Litigation” American Institute of CPAs in Blacksburg, Virginia (1990).

Lecturer: “Securities Litigation” International Association of Financial Planners (1989).

Lecturer: “The Mechanics of Court” at The Florida Bar Bridge the Gap Seminars (1983, 1984, and 1985).