Cruises are supposed to be fun excursions for individuals, couples and families. On family cruises, during a portion of the trip it is not uncommon for cruise ship workers to organize activities to keep children busy. While much of the time the children enjoy their time on the ship, sometimes injury producing accidents occur. One such accident resulted in a boy suffering a brain injury.
The incident occurred this past winter while the ship the boy and his family were on ship that was docked. During that time period, the boy was involved in a game described as being much like dodge ball on one of the hard decks of the ship. As the children played, something happened to cause two children to run into each other. When this happened, one of those children, a 9-year-old, suffered the brain injury.
The brain injury was serious and resulted in the boy needing surgery. Despite the surgical procedure, the injury was nonetheless described as “severe and permanent.”
Recently, news outlets reported that the boy’s parents filed a lawsuit against Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. The lawsuit alleged that the cruise line was negligent and that it was that negligence that led to the boy’s injury.
Serious brain injuries can have an impact on the life of the individual who suffered the injury for many years to come. Medical treatment could be a requirement going forward. This can be expensive. While the amount sought in the lawsuit is not clear, anything recovered would likely be helpful in caring for the boy.
Source: Business Insurance, “Family sues Royal Caribbean after child sustains brain injury during game on cruise,” Judy Greenwald, Aug. 22, 2013