A MIAMI, FL MARITIME LAW PERSONAL INJURY ATTORNEY DISCUSSES CRUISE SHIP MEDEVACS

The cruise industry invests unlimited effort in creating an image of safety and preparedness aboard their luxury liners. However, as a Miami-based personal injury attorney, I've personally witnessed the frequency and severity of onboard injuries and illnesses—many of which cannot be properly diagnosed or treated aboard a cruise ship. All cruise ships have at least one infirmary staffed with trained medical personnel. These facilities and the attending doctors are sufficient to handle many of the injuries and wounds that occur at sea. However, sometimes passengers or crew members will experience an accident or develop a condition that requires more advanced medical treatment than can be offered at even the most modern of cruise ship hospitals.

The Decision to Medevac

In most cases the decision to medevac a patient will be made by the ship's physicians. However, for matters of logistics, the Captain or his designee must also be involved in determining the safest and most expeditious method of transport. Patients will usually be medevaced if one of the following conditions exist:

• Medical complications, invalidity, or death may occur if the patient is not transported to a land-based facility.
• The medical condition or nature of the injury or illness has not been diagnosed, but there are indications that the condition could intensify or lead to invalidity or death if the patient is not medevaced.
• The patient is believed to be infected with a disease that endangers other passengers and crewmembers.

Methods of Evacuating Sick or Injured Passengers

There are three ways that a patient can be medevaced from a cruise ship:

• Ship to Shore – The cruise ship returns to port and delivers the patient directly to an ambulance. This is considered to be the safest and most comfortable way of medevacing a patient.
• Ship to Ship – In some cases a ship or boat will be dispatched to receive a patient from the cruise ship. The receiving ship then transports the patient to a port where the crew brings him or her to shore.
• Ship Helicopter – In many cases the patient can be transported to land via helicopter. Helicopter medevacs are only possible when the ship is within a 150–200 miles of a land-based facility due to fueling considerations.

Physicians and captains must base the decision as to whether to medevac upon a number of factors. If you have been injured on a cruise ship and you were refused a medevac or your condition was exacerbated by the medevac, you should contact a maritime personal injury attorney immediately. You may be entitled to compensation for your injuries.