Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. $3.38 million to the family of a passenger who died during a cruise along the coast of Alaska in 2016. So decided, the jury at Federal court in Miami on Thursday, March 7.
According to court documents, in July 2016 Richard Puchalski from Wisconsin with his family went on a cruise to Alaska on the company’s ship «Explorer of the Seas«. Family trip was timed to celebrate the anniversary Puchalski — his 70th birthday.
Lawyers from the Haggard Law Firm was able to prove that the ship’s doctor Amanda Saunders made some serious mistakes because of which «heart attack» turned into «heart attack fatal».
The lawsuit States that on July 31, 2016 Puchalski visited the infirmary of the cruise liner «Explorer of the Seas» with the complaint of shortness of breath. The ship’s doctor Amanda Saunders established his «septal infarction [myocardial infarction of the interventricular septum]», given the necessary medication and sent back into the cabin. Lawyers allege that she had contact with the family of Richard, leaving the man in the infirmary for further testing or transport to a hospital on shore. However, Saunders did not do any of this.
Puchalski went up to his cabin. About an hour later he had a heart attackand he fell to the floor. Two nurses are unable to lift it and has not had the required medical care. Despite the fact that came to the aid of people from the ship did manage to Puchalski attributed to the infirmary, «there has been a significant delay in time before the man was transported to the hospital on shore.» The lawsuit States that Saunders ordered the transfer to hospital Juneau (AK) only to the end of the day. The man died 4 days later.
The defense asked for damages in the amount of $34 390,32 for medical expenses and $4.8 million for irreplaceable loss, pain and suffering.
The jury decided that negligent attitude to the state Puchalski was not only from the ship’s doctor and Royal Caribbean, but also from the patient. So Royal Caribbean is to blame for 70% and should pay the family of the deceased $3.38 million compensation.
«As long as the industry of cruise liners will not make long-overdue and necessary changes to the standards of medical care, more families will suffer from such tragedies, radically changing their lives. We will continue to raise such claims and to submit to a jury all cases of negligence», — said in his interview, Michael haggard, attorney of the Puchalski family.
Royal Caribbean’s lawyers plan to appeal. «With all due respect, we cannot agree with the outcome of this case. We study variants of our legal action and intend to appeal this decision,» said company representatives.
