Cruise Ship Accident Lawyer Blog
A certain subset of the senior population enjoys going on cruises; every winter, legions of grandparents fly into Fort Lauderdale International Airport, board a shuttle bus to Port Everglades, and then sail away on a cruise ship to spend the harshest weeks of winter island hopping, lounging on the pool deck, or dancing in the ship’s ballroom. For seniors who have the good sense to retire to Florida, cruise ship adventures are within commuting distance, and even when they are at home on dry land, the weather is usually conducive to the kinds of activities that lead the elderly to seek out Caribbean cruises in the first place, such as walks on the beach, swimming, and mini golf.
Several years ago, a healthy 85-year-old man set out on a cruise, but due to a medical error at the ship’s infirmary, he suffered a permanent decline in health. If you have suffered a serious injury because of a medical error at a cruise ship’s infirmary, contact a Miami cruise ship accident lawyer.
Previously Healthy Octogenarian Returns From Cruise as an Invalid
In early 2018, a man from Royal Palm Beach was a textbook case of an active senior. He was a competitive golfer and traveled frequently with his wife. The only recent change to his health was that he had recently begun using a urinary catheter. According to his doctor’s instructions, he inserted the catheter each morning and kept it in long enough for it to empty his bladder, and if he ever had trouble inserting it, he would go to a nearby clinic for help. Before he left for the cruise, his doctor told him to go to the infirmary if he needed help with the catheter.
In May of that year, the man went on a Royal Caribbean cruise. One morning, he could not insert his catheter, so he went to the infirmary at 8:00 in the morning. The doctor inserted the catheter and told the man to return at 4:00 to remove it. Blood immediately appeared in the drainage bag, and the man knew that something was wrong. He showed the doctor, but the doctor said that the blood must have been in his bladder, even though he had no history of blood in the urine. The man’s condition worsened throughout the morning, since the catheter was draining blood instead of urine. He went to the infirmary at 12:00, but they sent him away. By the next morning, he was suffering from sepsis because he had not been able to empty his bladder. When the ship made port at Cozumel, the man was admitted to the hospital. After months of rehabilitation, he was able to walk only with a cane. He sued Royal Caribbean, requesting $750,000 in damages.
Contact Gerson & Schwartz About Cruise Ship Accident Cases
A cruise ship liability lawyer can help you get the money you need to cover your medical bills if you suffer harm because of a cruise ship infirmary error. Contact Gerson & Schwartz in Miami, Florida, to discuss your case.