Every year, millions of people take vacations aboard cruise ships, expecting to have a relaxing and fun-filled time. However, any vacation can become an accident or personal injury, and cruise ships are not immune to such happenings. With Miami being a home base for numerous cruise lines, many vacationers and tourists from Miami and elsewhere want to take a cruise to the Bahamas, the Caribbean, or Mexico. The cruise ship is responsible for protecting each passenger’s safety – their health and well-being. Unfortunately, a serious cruise ship injury can sometimes spoil the vacation experience. Both workers and passengers on board a cruise ship are vulnerable to any number of dangers while they are docked at port or out at sea.

Cruise lines must have qualified medical crews on board to keep passengers safe. Unfortunately, there are circumstances in which the medical treatment these staff members provide does not meet the required standards, and an individual’s medical condition can worsen. Cruise ship negligence is often to blame for medical crew errors. Still, because most of these individuals are independent contractors, it can be difficult to know who is accountable for medical crew negligence. Any physician should be held liable for committing an act of negligence that causes injury to a person to whom he or she owes a duty of care. Medical crewmembers aboard a ship are no exception to this and should be held accountable.

If you suffer an injury aboard a cruise ship and there are further complications due to your negligent medical care, it can be a traumatic experience and may lead to long-lasting problems. You could face physical pain, unaffordable medical bills, lost work wages, financial stress, and even major lifestyle changes. The cruise ship medical negligence lawyers at Louis A. Vucci, P.A. believe that you do not need to be financially responsible for an injury caused by cruise ship medical crew negligence. We have successfully handled cruise ship injury cases through the years and can help you. Contact our office today at (786) 375-0344 to learn more about how our skilled legal team can assist you.

Do I Need a Cruise Ship Medical Negligence Attorney?

If you have been injured aboard a cruise ship, you may have many questions about your initial accident or injury and your subsequent medical care received on your cruise ship. You may ask whether the cruise ship is responsible for the costs associated with your further complications. You may also worry that you will be out of work indefinitely and that you will have high medical bills. It is also unlikely that you can get the fair compensation that you deserve without a lawyer to represent you.

Cruise ship medical crew negligence cases can be complicated, so getting compensated for these types of cases can be challenging. Obtaining the services of our cruise ship medical negligence firm can help you build a stronger case and potentially maximize your recovery.

Why Choose Louis A. Vucci, P.A.?

Look no further if you need a skilled legal team with experience with cruise ship medical crew negligence. While many other law firms may claim they can handle the nuances and difficulties posed by cruise ship medical crew negligence, we have the record of success to back up that claim. Although you have a selection of other firms in the area, how do you know that they will be dedicated to fighting for you? Our team strives to earn our client’s trust by communicating openly and honestly throughout the legal process.

Our cruise ship medical malpractice firm has the experience you need on your side if the actions of the medical crew harmed you. We take our job very seriously and we genuinely want to help you. We understand that our clients have already been through a traumatic experience with their illness or injury, and they don’t deserve to have been treated by an incompetent medical crew that caused them further distress. The Louis A. Vucci, P.A. team shows compassion and empathy towards our clients, treating them with the respect they deserve.

With our knowledgeable cruise ship attorneys as your advocates, we are ready to fight to protect your best interests. Louis A. Vucci, P.A. believes that victims should not suffer further pain due to the medical team’s negligence aboard the cruise ship. Complete our email form, chat live, or call our offices today at (786) 375-0344. You will not owe us anything unless we win your case, and our consultation is completely free.

Medical Negligence Cases We Handle

At Louis A. Vucci, P.A., our cruise ship medical negligence lawyers are prepared to handle passenger injuries, whether you are docked at port or out at sea. There are numerous ways in which a cruise ship’s medical crew may be credibly accused of dangerous negligence and liable for passenger injuries. Medical errors aboard cruise ships can include:

• Failure to diagnose – A timely diagnosis is crucial when an injury occurs on a cruise ship. If a medical crew fails to diagnose an injury, an improperly treated accident victim may suffer even more pain and expense from his or her injury. All cruise ships should have medical crews comprising competent health professionals who can make timely diagnoses for vacationers aboard cruise ships. Some of the more common illnesses and injuries left undiagnosed include infections, heart attacks, pneumonia, broken bones, and appendicitis.
• Wrong diagnosis – When seeking medical care on a cruise ship trip, you are expected to receive a proper diagnosis. Yet, medical crews can incorrectly diagnose patients and cause even more serious damage to patients than they initially experienced. In addition to physical recovery, wrong diagnosis victims often must contend with expensive medical bills and the cost of lost wages. Any incorrect diagnosis by a cruise ship medical staff member can result in many unwanted consequences. Some of the dangers of a wrong diagnosis include delayed treatment, wrong medication, improper treatment, prolonged illness or injury, or a longer recovery process.
• Lack of informed consent – Passengers injured on a cruise ship must be treated with the same medical standards as if they were in a hospital. Injured and sick cruise ship passengers sometimes cannot express their consent to medical decisions. Patients need to be able to fully understand a medical decision or procedure before they are provided treatment. If not, the patient can end up worse off than they were from their initial injury or illness. Informed consent must include the nature of the procedure or medical decision, any alternative forms of treatment, risks and benefits of the treatment, assessment that the patient fully understands the proposed treatment, and, most importantly, the approval by the patient for the procedure or medication.
• Incorrect medical procedure – Patients have every right to assume that their crew will follow the highest medical standards and provide them with proper care. Even if a licensed medical professional diagnosed an injury aboard a cruise ship, incorrect medical procedures may still occur and this could exacerbate an illness or injury. Some incorrect medical procedures that are problematic for patients are prolonged injury or illness, allergic reactions, or worsening of the original symptoms.
• Failure to treat – An illness or injury aboard a cruise ship can be overwhelming and stressful. It can be difficult to feel comfortable and recover when you are docked at a port or out at sea and away from the usual medical amenities. When cruise ship medical staff recognize your signs and symptoms but disregard them as unworthy of treatment, unfortunate results can occur and may lead to numerous health issues. Treating injuries and illnesses as soon as possible is crucial. Otherwise, serious consequences can result, including but not limited to: prolonged illness or injury, the spread of illness, heart attack, infections, or the failure to check for serious illnesses.

In any of these circumstances, medical crew negligence can have serious consequences for cruise ship passengers, who may suffer further medical complications. To find out who is ultimately responsible for injuries such as these and to take legal action, contact Louis A. Vucci, P.A.

Cruise Ship Injury Statistics

Traveling on a cruise ship is one of the most popular vacation activities worldwide. Travel industry figures indicate that more than 20 million people went on a cruise in 2012 alone. More than half of those people(11.5 million) were in the U.S. market. In addition, more and more U.S. citizens are choosing to spend their vacations aboard cruise ships. The United States Coast Guard reports that there are around 200 overnight, ocean-going cruise ships worldwide. The average cruise ship carries about 2,000 passengers and includes a crew of 950 people. The Coast Guard speculates that more than 23,000,000 people will be cruise ship passengers in 2017.

Due to the popularity of this vacation option, chances are that cruise ship traveling will come with its fair share of risks and dangers. Common sense safety measures and reasonable precautions can potentially avoid many cruise ship accidents and incidents. However, when the unavoidable happens, the cruise ship is expected to have a competent medical crew aboard to handle any number of illnesses, injuries, or accidents. If the medical crew fails to diagnose, makes a misdiagnosis, or fails to treat properly, numerous complications can result.

Since injuries on cruise ships can be extremely dangerous because they are out at sea or in a port far away from home, many cruise lines employ a fully equipped and trained medical staff. Yet, the medical crew may not properly diagnose, may fail to treat properly, or may perform an incorrect medical procedure, causing you more distress, pain, or injury. Any passenger that is injured or becomes further ill due to medical crew negligence or recklessness while on a cruise ship trip deserves compensation for their injuries.

According to one study from International Maritime Health, 663 injuries occurred on a single cruise ship over the course of three years. Most of the victims suffered their injuries while aboard the ship, primarily in their cabins. Falls caused a staggering 44.8% of these injuries. In addition, cruise ship passengers can also be subject to severe illness due to improper sanitation and poor food quality. In any case, a cruise ship medical crew needs to be fully equipped and capable of handling any type of injuries, accidents, or illnesses so that the safety of each passenger is assured and protected.

Contact a Medical Negligence Attorney Today

At Louis A. Vucci, P.A. we’ve spent our careers helping people just like you who were hurt on a cruise ship. It takes knowledgeable and skilled attorneys to review each cruise ship injury case thoroughly so that we can fight to help you recover the compensation you are rightfully owed from the cruise line. Our firm understands that your situation may seem overwhelming; however, it is not something you have to go through without help.

Our compassionate legal team dedicates itself to achieving maximum compensation in these types of personal injury cases. At Louis A. Vucci, P.A. our office works on a contingency basis – meaning that we only get paid if we recover on your behalf. If we don’t secure you compensation, we don’t get paid!

Call us at (786) 375-0344to schedule a free consultation. Complete our email form, chat live, or call us – we are here for you to fight for your rights and interests and get you the compensation that you deserve!