have you ever been injured on a hal cruise?

[bravemom]

i was recently injured on a hal cruise-have you ever had this experience or known of someone who has? i am currently dealing with their insurance carrier-any insight would be welcome. please email me at boingophreak at sbc global dot net.

[smeyer418]

so why not tell us what happened so we know...and can give you info if approrpiate....

[peaches from georgia]

I understand why bravemom might NOT immediately give details of what happened. She is dealing with an insurance company and who knows what else down the road if this was a serious injury and a settlement is not made quickly. Anything she might say regarding the injury is public once it is used on a computer message board. She only wanted information as to the operating procedure of the insurance company from another pax who may have been through this and it is understandable if she does not think it wise to discuss the injury and case itself.

[jazzsea]

I fell on Windstar and the ship and my insurance company (Travel Guard) worked out the details. I paid for nothing and paid for none of the follow up care. I always take travel insurance as my HMO does not cover out of USA claims.

[Krazy Kruizers]

:)

 

Last March I slipped on the bathroom floor in the ladies room on HMC. Landed diretly on my left knee. To make a long story short, we went right back to ship and iced it down with the help of cabin steward. But I still ended up seeing the ship's doctor and having the entire leg x-rayed as the entire leg turned black and blue. Nothing was broken. I wasn't charged a thing - not even for the x-rays.

Did have an MRI went I got home to double check for any damage.

:)

[Cracker Ken]

Ditto what Peaches said. Great advice. The big question is whether or not HAL is liable for the injury. I wouldn't want to discuss the nitty-gritty in a public forum, but some procedural direction would be good.

 

Bravemom - I hope you weren't hurt very bad and all works out OK.

 

Ken

[hdawson]

I'm sure people have injuries on vacation all the time. Cruise and other venues. Sounds like HAL is on the ball by turning it over to the insurance carrier. I never cruise without travel insurance.

[sail7seas]

KK...sorry to hear of your accident at HMC.

 

Am I correct in assuming the floor was wet and should have been mopped and that is the reason HAL picked up the cost of the doctor's visit?

 

Happy to hear you did not break anything and that all ended well.

[Krazy Kruizers]

:)

 

Yes, the floor was very wet and I was wearing rubber sole shoes.

The 2 girls who were supposed to be mopping the floor from time to time were too bust talking outside to be bothered to do anything - this was written on our report.

Thus HAL knew that they responsible and therefore we didn't get a bill.

:)

[sail7seas]

That's a shame. An accident that did not need to happen. You took the care to wear proper footwear. Their employees did not take the care to do their job.

[Host Walt]

Any legal remedies available for injuries presumably caused by negligent acts* on a ship at sea or in a foreign port involve a myriad of issues, the first being jurisdiction and the second being the enforceability of the cruise contract in that jurisdiction. Further if there is any possible criminal aspect, such as reckless indifference, the issue escalates even further.

 

The first step is not to solicit advice on a web message board; most of us are not trained in international tort law, admiralty law or contract law. First, find an attorney and review your case with him/her. Make sure you have your contract with you.

 

If there is a legitimate cause of action, your attorney will develop the case for you. I'm sure he/she will ask you with whom you've discussed the matter and then advise you not to discuss it any further. If you tell him you posted your case on the web, he/she will likely drop any representation immediately.

 

In short, don't discuss anything about your case on Cruise Critic unless you decide not to take any legal action at all.

 

*That act, and in what jurisdiction it occurred is a critical part of any case. For example, if a hole was made in the deck in a repair operation done in, say, Barbados, and you were injured by that hole in, say, Hayvensight Docks, St. Thomas, then an attorney would need to determine whether the issue belongs in a Barbadian court, a US Court or if it's considered an Admiralty case.

[bravemom]

hi it's me -the originator of this thread. just wanted to let everyone know that i was able to resolve my claim in just 13 months via hal's private insurance carrier (a very nice group of people i must say). they had me keep a log of all of the doctor, physical therapy, etc. appointments i went to (including the mileage incurred), all the perscriptions and otc stuff i used...once they had this they reviewed the medical records of both the on board doctor and my own (which ended up being the most time consuming for hal to get). they ended up covering everything, plus a bit more for the

inconveniece we suffered due my injury.

 

all in all it was not a horrible experience.

[Krazy Kruizers]

bravemom

Glad everything worked out for you.

[sail7seas]

Very happy to hear it has been resolved to your satisifaction. Thank you for coming back to tell us that.

[RuthC]

Thank you for letting us know the outcome. Glad it was favorable.

[kakalina]

I can't believe this worked out so well for you. I was injured quite seriously on a HAL cruise about two years ago. The so called " legal department" strung us along for quite awhile after my hospital and nursing home stays were over they informed my lawyer that the 6 month period for litigation was over and there was nothing that we could do. They took care of my on board bills and paid to fly me home but they never took care of the major bills as they had promised. I will always get insurance in the future.

Trisha

[trubey]

I was reading this thread and thinking how someone posted something like this about a year ago. But it was the same thread.

 

. . . glad it worked out. susana.

[tomc]

Krazy Kruisers said:

The 2 girls who were supposed to be mopping the floor from time to time were too bust

Yeah, I guess I wouldn't be looking at the floor, either.

[OCruisers]

On our last Veendam someone in one of those "motor scooters" ran over a man and broke three bones in his foot (was in cast for the remainder of the cruise and NOT a happy cruiser ....)

 

We were actually in the elevator when one of the motor things came "barreling in" and knocked over an older woman with a walker. We were able to catch her so, luckily, it only scared her a little.

 

Gosh, aren't these things for folks who just can't walk very well ... but can see. :confused:

 

Happy Sailing! OCruisers :)

[MikeInPgh]

Had a similar experience on the Zuiderdam last week. Can you email me any contact info you have for HAL? and how you got the ball rolling?

 

Mike

[Iggipolka]

Krazy Kruisers said: Yeah, I guess I wouldn't be looking at the floor, either.

 

ROFL! I was thinking that same thing :)

[jhannah]

I did have a minor wrist injury when I missed the edge of the bed and went onto the floor. Chalk one up to clumsiness. :rolleyes:

 

Other than that, the worst I've experienced was a slight finger sprain when the captain had to be summoned to peel my fingers off the gangway door when they kept insisting the cruise was over and that it was time for me to get off the ship! :D

[imsulin2]

Good one, jhannah!

 

On our April, 2005 Zuiderdam cruise, I had met a delightful couple at lunch one day in the buffet. A couple of days later, I witnessed her falling down the stairs just outside the buffet entrance. Several of us ran over to try to help out, but immediately the ship's staff was there with the backboard and neck brace. I called their cabin the next day to see how they she was doing (and sent a bottle of wine to their cabin:D ), and she said that HAL had treated her very bruised and sore knee in the clinic, and had not charged her anything, even for pain meds, compresses, and Ace bandages. I was asked to speak to a ship's Staff, as I had witnessed this, and they took my report. She just stumbled about three steps from the bottom and fell down the stairs. I saw them again at disembarkation, and she was in a ship's wheelchair. She said that HAL had contacted their (independently booked) airline to advise them of the situation, and requested an exit row seat - which she got. She also said that HAL had arranged for their transportation to the FLL airport free of charge. Her husband said that HAL staff couldn't have been nicer. And...they didn't have any trip insurance! (So I gave them my lecture..:D ). Anyway, they indicated that while she had to miss the ports and shore excursions, they were very satisfied with the way HAL handled the situation.

[KAYEF]

Getting OFF the tender (back at the ship) in Cabo, due to a wave, the tender came downward and I pulled back, not wanting to step off. The workers pulled me off (they were rushed) and I hurt my hip quite badly. I was unable to walk and they wouldn't help me at all........we had to INSIST on an elevator ride as I couldn't use the stairs. I took some pain meds that I had along. A day or so later, I contacted someone and the hotel manager called me to come down.

After hearing my complaint, he gave us a pass to the thermal pool for the remainder of the cruise (it was a 23 day one) and it was not only helpful but VERY nice. ;)