Cruise ship lawsuit ruling reversed by appeals court

In a 2-1 decision issued Wednesday, December 4, the Florida Third District Court of Appeals reversed an earlier trial court ruling, stating that cruise ship doctor Dr. Chris Taylor, who was being sued, was not covered by the trial court’s jurisdiction.

The case was originally filed by a passenger on Royal Caribbean’s Oasis of the Seas, Ms. Gutierrez and her husband. The claimants alleged that Gutierrez was subjected to medical malpractice by Taylor, causing her to suffer from sepsis, multiple organ failure, and a cerebral hemorrhage, resulting in brain injury.

According to the lawsuit, Ms. Gutierrez and her husband rode the cruise ship in May 2010 and left from Port Everglades, Florida. As the ship neared Labadee, Haiti, Gutierrez felt intense abdominal cramps and was treated by Dr. Chris Taylor, the ship’s medical practitioner, for gastritis when she was actually suffering from a more severe medical condition.

Unfortunately, as this case demonstrates, passengers on cruise ships can be injured, causing them to need justice and compensation from the cruise ship. If you have been harmed on a cruise ship, whether due to medical crew malpractice or other negligence on the behalf of the crew, our lawyers at the Louis A. Vucci P.A., may be able to help you fight for compensation. Discuss your options by calling (786) 375-0344 today.