What Happens if You Need to Go to the Hospital on a Cruise?
Whether you get injured or sick on a cruise, you may need medical attention quickly. If you need to go to the hospital on a cruise but are at sea, what happens next?
Cruises should have small medical facilities on board, and you can go there for immediate treatment. If an injury is too severe, your medical evacuation to the nearest hospital capable of treating you is crucial. The cruise should cover the cost of the medical evacuation, as well as any hospital expenses from foreign medical treatment and medical damages upon your return home.
Schedule a free case assessment from our cruise ship injury lawyers by calling Rivkind Margulies & Rivkind now at (305) 204-5369.
What if You Need to Go to the Hospital on a Cruise?
If you need medical attention on a cruise, your injuries may or may not be treatable at the onboard medical facility. If they aren’t, medical evacuation from the cruise may be necessary.
Injuries Treatable by Onboard Medical Staff
Some injuries can be treated immediately and competently by onboard medical staff. The medical facilities aboard a cruise ship are not extensive, but they are equipped to handle minor to moderate injuries from slips, trips, and falls. You can also go to the onboard medical staff if you contract a food-borne illness or virus on a cruise.
Injuries that Require Medical Evacuation
For more severe injuries, such as head trauma, back injuries, and displaced fractures, medical evacuation to the nearest foreign hospital may be prudent. The cruise ship should arrange the medical evacuation, most likely via helicopter, if the onboard medical facility cannot treat a passenger’s injuries and they need urgent care.
What Happens if You Go to a Foreign Hospital for a Cruise Injury?
If you need to go to the hospital while you are on a cruise and the onboard medical facilities aren’t sufficient, you will most likely be medically evacuated to the closest capable foreign hospital as soon as possible.
When that happens, doctors will document your injuries and perform the immediate treatment you need before returning home and continuing your care. This generates medical records, which we can get on your behalf from overseas.
Getting medical care in a foreign hospital can be overwhelming and frightening. Still, it also could make all the difference in a future compensation claim against a negligent cruise ship company.
Why Do Cruise Ship Passengers Need to Go to the Hospital?
Of the many reasons cruise ship passengers need to go to the hospital, most boil down to negligence or intentional misconduct.
Injuries from Accidents
Injuries from accidents caused by negligence are very common on cruises and often occur during slips, trips, and falls due to hazards or unsafe conditions.
Injuries from Intentional Assaults
Injuries from intentional assaults are also common, and the cruise ship may be liable under negligent security or the legal doctrine of respondeat superior, which holds an employer responsible for their employees’ acts.
Illnesses
When a cruise ship fails to respond properly to an illness outbreak or has poor food safety practices, illnesses might spread, requiring passengers to be hospitalized.
Pre-Existing Conditions
Also, passengers sometimes require medical attention for reasons unrelated to negligence, such as a pre-existing condition or a health concern.
FAQs About Going to the Hospital for a Cruise Ship Injury
Who Pays if You Need to Go to the Hospital for a Cruise Ship Injury?
If the cruise ship is liable for your injuries, it should ultimately cover any damages incurred from medical treatment at a foreign hospital, as well as medical damages from treatment after your return home.
When Should You Go to the Hospital for a Cruise Ship Injury?
You shouldn’t wait to get evaluated after an injury due to negligence on a cruise. Immediately documenting an injury helps our cruise ship injury lawyers prove a causal link between the cruise ship or a crew member’s negligence and your injury.
Why Do Cruise Ship Passengers Have to Go to the Hospital?
You must go to the hospital after suffering an injury due to negligence on a cruise so we can obtain medical records, which are crucial evidence in an injury claim. Without medical records, you cannot prove when or how you were injured, or the extent of the injury.
Can You Go to the Onboard Medical Staff Instead of the Hospital?
While you may go to the onboard medical staff for initial treatment, you should then seek a second opinion at the hospital. Remember, the onboard medical staff work for the cruise line, which could cloud their judgment.
Can You File a Lawsuit if You Need to Go to the Hospital on a Cruise?
If you had to go to the hospital after an accident on a cruise ship, you may have a compensation claim against the cruise line, which we can confirm after learning more about your case. If you can sue the cruise, you most likely have one year.
Should You Go to the Hospital When You Return from the Cruise?
Even if you were treated at a foreign hospital, you should go to the hospital upon your return from the cruise. Your injuries may require ongoing treatment and monitoring, and we may need additional medical records to prove the extent of the injury.
Should You Get a Lawyer if You Had to Go to the Hospital on a Cruise?
If you had to go to the hospital because of a serious injury or illness contracted on a cruise due to its breach of duty of care, you should contact our experienced maritime lawyers who can see if you have a case, tally your damages, and file a lawsuit on your behalf.
For Help, Call Our Cruise Ship Accident and Injury Lawyers Today
Call Rivkind Margulies & Rivkind’s cruise ship injury lawyers at (305) 204-5369 to discuss your case for free.
