Currently, emergency automated external defibrillators, or AEDs are not required to have onboard . AEDs are electronic devices used to give an electric shock to the heart of someone who may be having a heart attack on a cruise ship.
AEDs are now common sights in American shopping malls and grocery stores but are nowhere to be found on most cruise ships. Now, thanks to a new bill proposed by United States Senators Richard Blumenthal and Edward Markey, cruise ship passengers on Carnival, Royal Caribbean, and other major cruise lines will soon have access to these potentially life-saving devices.
The Cruise Passenger Protection Act of 2015 will require that AEDs be placed throughout vessels in clearly designated locations, with easy passenger access. Additionally, cruise lines will be required to point out the location of AED devices during the initial safety briefing that is mandated on all cruises.
As a lawyer who represents injured cruise ship passengers, I have investigated thousands of accidents, incidents, sexual assaults, and batteries that have occurred during cruises. One of the most common complaints I have heard is that people simply don’t know where and how to report a medical emergency or seek security assistance on the ship. I am pleased to report that the new act will also require ships to make it far easier for cruise passengers who are injured–by requiring that cruise line owners always maintain a sufficient number of onboard medical doctors and staff available and present 24 hours a day to address an emergency medical situation.
The Act also requires that the ship’s medical staff comply with the Health Care Guidelines for Cruise Ship Medical Facilities established by the American College of Emergency Physicians. In addition, the guidelines stipulate that every crew member on the vessel have received basic life-support training and be certified in cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Moreover, all crewmembers aboard cruises leaving from or to a US port of call must have a basic understanding of the English language.
I applaud these two lawmakers as well as the advocacy group International Cruise Victims for their efforts to protect United States passengers from cruise lines who seemingly put their profits ahead of passenger safety. The Cruise Passenger Protection Act of 2015 will almost certainly set a new safety standard for international cruise ship passengers. For example, it will be difficult for cruise lines like Carnival not to make the new requirements mandatory on all of their ships and brands in their fleet, such as Costa, Cunard, Aida, Holland America, Princess, and the new Fathom line.
Our cruise ship personal injury lawyers have fought for nearly 30 years on behalf of passengers who have been hurt during a cruise. Let our years of experience help you understand and protect your legal rights. We offer a free initial consultation to anyone who may have been involved in an accident, assault, or battery on a cruise ship. Call today for a confidential conversation with an experienced maritime accident injury attorney at 1-866-597-4529 or email us at [email protected].
