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Royal Caribbean Pays $3M in Wrongful Death Lawsuit

Written by AskTheLawyers.com™

Royal Caribbean Pays $3M in Wrongful Death Lawsuit

Written by AskTheLawyers.com™

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Cruise ships can offer a false sense of security. You’re on vacation, so it’s natural to let your guard down and relax. Unfortunately, there are many instances of horrible things happening aboard cruise ships due to negligence, including wrongful death. These situations present a unique set of dangers. You’re on a ship—oftentimes in the middle of the ocean—and anything can happen. There are only so many resources available staff can attribute to the quality care and customer service of passengers. When the staff fails to prevent negligence, someone needs to be held accountable. One recent case involving Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. involved a passenger dying of a heart attack onboard in 2016, allegedly due to errors made by the ship’s doctor. Damages were calculated at the amount of $35,390.32 for medical expenses and $4.8M for pain, suffering and loss of companionship, but with only partial responsibility awarded due to negligence on both parties in this situation—therefore the court awarded only $3.8M in restitution for the family of the passenger.

Cruise Ships, Wrongful Deaths, and Medical Malpractice

It’s a very real example that cruise ships can pose certain dangers, particularly regarding medical conditions. Standard of care is a massive expectation given the scenario that you’re left to the whim of the occurrences you could face on a boat in the middle of the ocean, where anything could happen. However, cruise lines should take extra steps to keep passengers safe. They could increase their staff and supply more resources onboard to accommodate the needs of each and every passenger specified on a manifest with details for every condition, pre-existing or potential, and documented diseases. After all, we’re talking about passengers that are out at sea. The same would apply for airlines and flights. When medical issues occur, resources have to be available to accommodate those emergencies. If they’re not available, according to law the accommodation is responsible.

If Substantial Changes to Standards of Care Are Not Implemented, Injuries and Deaths Will Continue

Based on this example alone, simple negligence can cause a great deal of pain, so we always make it a point to ensure the best possible legal representation at the very least. Victims deserve that much when facing horrible issues such as that—wrongful deaths, personal injuries and more. As always, it’s best to consult the best possible attorney to learn about which options are available.

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