Brain Injury: Man Awarded $21 Million For Cruise Ship Accident
According to KING-TV, a Seattle jury recently awarded an Illinois man $21.5 million after he sued a cruise line over a traumatic brain injury (TBI) accident.
KING reported that the accident occurred on a Holland America Line cruise when an automatic sliding door aboard a vessel hit the man. He reportedly was on an eight-month cruise around the world when the accident occurred in the South Pacific in 2011.
The man said he was walking out to a pool on the vessel when an automatic sliding door struck the side of his head. He was diagnosed with a TBI and post concussive syndrome following the incident, and now suffers from bouts of dizziness and fatigue.
The victim’s wife said he is not the same person he was before the accident. “This was a man who used to sleep less than I did and now this is a man who sleeps much more than I ever hope to sleep,” his wife said, according to KING. “He doesn’t like to be in public, he doesn’t like to be in places with too much stimulation, too much bright lights. He just can’t tolerate that stuff in the way that he used to be able to.”
During trial, the man argued that his accident was among a dozen involving automatic sliding doors on Holland cruises where medical care was needed over the span of three years leading up to the incident. Holland did not comment specifically about the lawsuit to the media following the verdict.
What You Should Do After a Cruise Ship Accident
As this verdict shows, jurors take cruise ship accident injuries very seriously. TBIs in particular can have long-term consequences for victims including cognitive and physical complications, which can require expensive treatment.
If you are ever injured in a cruise ship accident, you should know that you have legal rights. Our nationwide maritime attorneys have filed claims on the behalf of victims injured on American-registered and foreign ships heading to Florida, the Caribbean and elsewhere.
In the video above, maritime attorney David Anderson discusses what you should do if you are injured in a cruise ship accident.
Latti & Anderson LLP – Nationwide Maritime Attorneys