Florida Cruise Ship & Boat Accident Settlement Verdicts (and Cases)

Below are just a few of the boat and cruise ship accidents that our firm has handled or current cases.  

$325,000.00 settlement during litigation for cruise ship passenger who tripped and fell on a improperly marked door threshold inside a cruise ship. Our law firm served as co-counsel.

$20,000 settlement for diabetic cruise ship passenger whose feet were severely burned when he walked on cruise ship outdoor surface which was unreasonably hot without proper warning. Injury lawyer Ziegler served as co-counsel.

He reported his injury to cruise personnel immediately. He visited the cruise ship infirmary later that day and their notes reveal that he had complaints of an injury and pain in his non-dominant shoulder.  As of May 2009, about 9 months after this accident, the gentleman has treated for months and is set to undergo shoulder surgery in May 2009.  Mr. Ziegler is about to file a lawsuit in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida. Carnival's ticket contract requires that legal action against the cruise line be brought in Miami, Florida. This cruise passenger was with family at the time of this incident and therefore has several witnesses. Carnival disputes the fact that the injury victim's shoulder surgery was caused by the accident.

Settlement for a Celebrity (owned by Royal Caribbean) Cruise Lines ship employee (crew member) who had knee surgery as the result of a slip and fall on the Galaxy cruise ship.  On July 17, 2007 our client's diagnosis was left medial meniscus rupture, and the history was that he has a lot of pain in his left knee since he fell down 6 days ago while he was in the ship. 

The report stated that because the pain has increased he decided to ask for their medical help. The doctor went to see the patient and examined the patient in the Harbour. The specialist detected a left knee injury with meniscus ligament rupture and requires a MRI scan. Treatment: The orthopaedical specialist wanted to hospitalize our client and a MRI examination is necessary and an arthroscopic operation has to be performed as soon as possible.

A note stated that the patient is not fit for duty to perform the essential functions of his current job. He was fit for travel by sea and he has not reached maximum medical improvement yet.  A follow up appointment can be required after the operation.

On July 20, 2007, the shipboard physician's (Ralph Newball, MD) diagnosis was to rule out a meniscal rupture. He was referred to a radiologist-orthopedist for a MRI. 

On July 27, 2007, Dr. Martin Ucles, Orthopaedist, issued a medical report which included a evolution report stating that our client, a twenty-four year old male, seafarer, officer's mess attendant since about 3 years, currently had a 16 day evolution history of suffering a job accident stated that our client fell from his own height and hit his knee directly to the floor. 

Immediately he had pain, claudication, joint edema. He was seen by a Physician who recommended ibuprofen and local ice plus bandages with no improvement of his symptoms and exacerbating with exercise, also internal articular crepitation. Posterior and anterior drawer are normal.  Lateral and medial yawning are normal.  Appley and Murphy signs are positive at the internal compartment.  There is no joint effusion.

The diagnosis was left knee medial meniscopathy; X rays unremarkable. MRI: Internal meniscus injury.  The therapeutic plan was 1. Arthroscopic surgery (Partial meniscectomy). 2. Voltaren 50 mgs PO every 12 hours.  3. Tramacet 1 tab PO every 8 hours. The prognosis was good for function following surgery.  He was not listed as fit for duty.

On August 10, 2007,  Dr. Martin Enrique Ulces issued and Anesthesiologist Dr. Ivan Izaguirre operated on our client.  The pre-operative diagnosis was left knee medial meniscopathy. The procedure was a bilateral partial meniscectomy. The anesthesia used was Peri-dural plus sedation.  The post-operative diagnosis was torn internal meniscus anterior horn + torn lateral meniscus posterior horn an operative report, which listed the procedures.

The procedure description and findings were: In the operating room and under Epidural anesthesia, asepsis and antisepsis, with anterior portals of the left knee,  they arthroscpopically explored the left knee finding a torn medial meniscus, anterior horn, and torn lateral meniscus, posterior horn, plus synovitis.  The ligaments were normal.  Fortunately, there were no complications.  The plan was for the cruise ship worker to rest, use ice, crutches, arcoxia, zaldiar, and a follow up appointment August 13, 2007. 

On August 16, 2007, the patient saw Dr. Martin Uncles, an Orthopaedist in Choloma Cortes, Honduras.  We assume that Celebrity Cruise lines and Royal Caribbean typically send their doctors to these cruise lines, and in exchange the doctors give the cruise lines conservative medical reports.  In Honduras, the Medical Report is called an Evolution Report, and the report in this case stated "patient underwent an arthroscopic approach on the left knee, meniscopathy operation, a week ago. 

Satisfactorily evolution with good mobility, with no distal neurovascular deficit. No Signs of infection, no active bleeding." The diagnosis was left knee meniscopathy post operated patient.  The therapeutic plan was "crutches support walk", knee brace and exercises at home.  Prognosis was good for function following surgery. Our client had not reached MMI, was not fit for duty, and was scheduled for a follow up appointment on August 24, 2007.  Dr. Ulces stated that he was fit for travel.