Cruise ship cleaner's wrist crushed by watertight door: Vicarious liability for medical negligence: Hand amputation: Settlement

Law Reporter, May 2001

ADMIRALTY

Smith v Royal Caribbean Cruises, Ltd., Fla., Dade County Cir. Ct., No. 97-27720 CA 15, June 21, 2000.

Smith, 27, worked as a cleaner on a cruise ship. While deaning a hallway, she opened a watertight door. The door slammed shut, crushing her wrist. She was taken to a local hospital onshore, was kept there four days, and had two operations. She then went to a larger hospital, where her hand was amputated. She had been earning $6,000 annually, but has been unable to return to work.

Smith sued the cruise line, alleging that it was vicariously liable for the alleged medical negligence of the onshore physicians at the first hospital that it had chosen.

The parties settled at trial just before closing arguments for $1.5 million.

Plaintiff's expert was Felix Freshwater, hand surgery, Miami, Fla. Defendant's experts were George Bogumil, hand surgery, Washington, D.C., and Susan Briggs, trauma surgery, Boston, Mass.

Plaintiff's Counsel

William Huggett, Miami, Fla.