Medical Care on Cruises
Cruise lines seem to want it both ways. They want you to feel secure knowing there is a doctor on board but they do not want to take responsibility when the doctor is negligent. The Wall Street Journal reports:
“In October 2005, during her 37th wedding anniversary cruise aboard Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.'s Legend of the Seas, Janice Sullivan slipped and hit her head on a buffet table, briefly knocking her unconscious. The ship doctor gave the 60-year-old Cape Coral, Fla., retiree an over-the-counter pain reliever, but didn't scan or X-ray her head despite continuing pain over the next several days, according to Mrs. Sullivan. After she got home, Mrs. Sullivan went to an emergency room, where a neurologist found a blood clot. Concerned it could cause a stroke, he performed invasive brain surgery. But Mrs. Sullivan had a surprise in store when she sued the cruise line and the ship doctor: Most ship doctors, despite typically wearing a crew uniform, are classified as independent contractors. And cruise companies contend they are no more liable for the doctors' competence than a landlord who rents office space to a physician on land.”
Stephanie Chen, Wall Street Journal, 10-24-07
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