Taking a relaxing cruise may be your dream, but it can quickly become a nightmare if you become sick or hurt while aboard a cruise liner.
As Americans, we are accustomed to listening to our doctors and following their advice, but a doctor on a cruise ship may not be equipped to handle your medical situation. They are likely to send you to a medical facility for treatment, but you may be treated at a hospital in a country that doesn’t have the resources to adequately treat your condition.
Diagnosis
Cruise ship doctors want their patients to have a good time on their cruise, so they are often quick to diagnose the patient with seasickness or common cold when their condition is actually much more serious.
An unnecessary prescription is often given, which may do more harm than good. The cruise ship doctor may not even have access to a proper x-ray or other diagnostic equipment to rely on when making a diagnosis, so they have to make the best diagnosis they can with the information they have, which is likely to be incorrect.
Being Transferred
If your medical situation is beyond the scope of the cruise ship’s doctor, they are likely to send you to the hospital as soon as your ship reaches a port.
You will usually be placed at the mercy of doctors and nurses in a hospital where you don’t understand the language and cannot explain your medical situation. Even if you receive proper treatment in a remote country, which is unlikely, your ship will have already moved on and you will have to make arrangements to either meet the ship at another port or take a plane home.
Confused About Your Medical Treatment
If you feel as though the medical treatment you received while on board the ship was inadequate, inaccurate or furthered your sickness and pain, you may have a legal case against the cruise line.
An attorney experienced in dealing with cruise line medical negligence cases can help you understand the potential course of action you should take.
About Waks & Barnett, P.A.
Based in Miami, Waks & Barnett attorneys work with clients in Florida, throughout the United States and around the world. The firm’s attorneys practice in the areas of personal injury and wrongful death, with a specialization in admiralty and maritime cases.