$20.3 Million Award to Worker in Royal Caribbean Injury Case
A Royal Caribbean employee has been awarded a massive sum after being injured while working aboard one of the company’s cruise ships.
According to the Miami Herald, Lisa Spearman’s hand was crushed by a door in 2008 while she was taking part in a safety drill aboard the Voyager of the Seas cruise ship. Newsweek.com reports that Spearman was helping a passenger who had fallen over when the door retracted on her hand, crushing it.
After the incident, Spearman was sent by the company to a doctor who subsequently misdiagnosed her, splinting her broken index and ring fingers in the wrong position. She remained on disability from Royal Caribbean, earning $25 per day, for two years until she was dismissed in 2010 because she was not able to complete her job duties.
In 2016 Spearman filed a sizeable lawsuit against Royal Caribbean, claiming (as stated by Newsweek) “poor training, negligent medical care and for discharging her over a non-performance related issue.” After a three-week trial, which ended in early June, a Miami-Dade jury sided with Spearman and awarded her $20.3 million.
Images of Spearman’s hand, which have been posted online, show the extent of her injuries.
Attorney John H. (Jack) Hickey and his team handle a wide range of cases, including but not limited to cruise ship accidents, admiralty and maritime accident cases, medical malpractice, wrongful death, premises liability, railroad accidents and car accidents. We represent victims from all over the nation, the world and the state of Florida.