Fort Lauderdale Onboard Medical Malpractice Attorney
The United States is the largest market for cruise lines, and their largest selling point is their world class amenities onboard. One of the amenities routinely touted by cruise ships includes top tier medical staff and facilities that can handle any medical emergency that may happen while on board the ship or during a shore excursion at one of the many countries of port. Since cruise ships often make port in countries that have substandard and limited medical care, having a top quality medical facility on the ship is a must-have for many passengers. However, these facilities do not always meet the standards claimed by the cruise line, and if you are injured by a cruise ship medical professional, the Fort Lauderdale onboard medical malpractice attorneys Boone & Davis are here to help you pursue a claim for medical malpractice.
Most Medical Staff is Not Licensed in the United States
Cruise ship medical staff routinely fall below the standards we hold our doctors and other medical professionals to in the United States, despite cruise lines advertising their top quality medical facilities and professionals onboard. In fact, most medical staff on cruise ships are not licensed to practice in the U.S. and have not been required to take the rigorous medical board testing that is required of our doctors, nurses, and other staff. Because of this, the medical care on a cruise ship is often substandard to what you would expect, and when deficient medical care leads to additional injury, you may have a claim for medical malpractice for the harm.
Ships Often Lack the Equipment Necessary for Care
In addition to medical professionals that lack the necessary qualifications, cruise ship facilities often lack equipment beyond the basics to diagnose or treat injuries that occur on or off the ship. Beyond the typical first aid and in very few cases, an x-ray machine, most cruise ship medical facilities lack any other equipment needed to identify and treat serious medical injuries. For example, if a passenger slips, falls, and hits their head the medical facility onboard most likely does not have a CAT or MRI machine available to diagnose whether a serious head trauma has occurred.
Cruise ships also lack the machinery to set broken bones or diagnose a heart attack. Passengers would need to be airlifted to a medical facility off of the ship, but depending on where the cruise is sailing, top tier medical care could be hundreds of miles away. In these situations, cruise companies often claim that adequate medical treatment took place and will deny all claims of medical malpractice. You need an attorney with experience handling cases against cruise lines to ensure that they are held accountable for their gross negligence with your care.
Call or Contact Our Office Today
If you relied on a cruise ship medical facility to treat an injury, but they only caused you further harm, you may have a valid claim against the cruise line for medical malpractice. Call the office today at Boone & Davis in Fort Lauderdale to schedule a free consultation of your medical malpractice claims against a cruise company.
