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Ohio Family Sues Princess Cruises After Passenger Dies from Delayed Stroke Treatment on Emerald Princess
Joseph Figas, acting as the personal representative of his late wife Cathryne Anne Figas’ estate, has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Princess Cruise Lines, Ltd. in the Southern District of Florida. The lawsuit, filed under Case No. 1:25-cv-23279, alleges that Princess Cruises failed to provide timely and adequate medical care after Cathryne Figas began experiencing stroke symptoms aboard the Emerald Princess, ultimately leading to her death.
Passenger Diagnosed with Stroke Symptoms Allegedly Denied Timely Medical Evacuation
According to the complaint, on July 25, 2024, Cathryne Figas began suffering from dizziness, headache, and vomiting while the ship was at sea. She was taken to the ship’s medical center, where the onboard medical team misdiagnosed her condition and failed to initiate an emergency evacuation. Figas remained onboard for approximately 39 hours without being transported to a shoreside hospital, despite presenting symptoms of a stroke.
When she was finally disembarked in Bar Harbor, Maine, she was transferred to Mount Desert Island Hospital and later airlifted to Maine Medical Center. A CT scan revealed severe brain hemorrhages, and despite emergency neurosurgical procedures, her condition deteriorated and she died from the complications.
Princess Accused of Negligence in Medical Care, Hiring, and Emergency Response
The lawsuit claims Princess Cruises failed to provide competent medical care, failed to utilize telemedicine resources, and neglected to consult with shoreside medical experts despite the severity of the situation. It further alleges that the ship’s doctor was inadequately trained and overworked, with policies in place that required passengers to pay fees before being attended to during overnight hours.
The complaint accuses Princess of negligent hiring and staffing, noting that the Emerald Princess, a large vessel with thousands of passengers and crew, had only one physician onboard. The lawsuit also argues that Princess violated the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) guidelines for cruise ship medical facilities, including minimum staffing standards and protocols for emergency evacuation.
Failure to Evacuate and Prior Knowledge of Similar Medical Incidents
Figas’ legal team asserts that Princess was well aware of the risks posed by onboard medical emergencies, citing previous lawsuits against Carnival Corporation (Princess’ parent company) involving delayed stroke treatment. The complaint claims that Princess’ cost-cutting measures contributed to the failure to divert the ship, accelerate toward a nearby port, or arrange air evacuation.
The lawsuit highlights that the cruise line had the ability to request emergency assistance from the U.S. Coast Guard or private rescue operators but failed to take these steps in a timely manner.
Lawsuit Seeks Damages for Wrongful Death, Pain and Suffering, and Loss of Support
The complaint seeks compensation under maritime and Florida wrongful death laws for the decedent’s pre-death pain and suffering, medical expenses, funeral costs, lost wages, and loss of future support for her surviving family members. Joseph Figas also demands punitive damages, alleging that Princess acted with reckless disregard for passenger safety by prioritizing profit over proper emergency care.
Contact a Cruise Ship Medical Negligence Lawyer if You Lost a Loved One Due to Delayed Treatment
Cruise lines have a legal duty to provide competent medical care and to ensure emergency evacuations when passengers face life-threatening conditions such as strokes or heart attacks. If you or a loved one suffered serious harm due to delayed or improper medical treatment on a cruise ship, our experienced maritime wrongful death attorneys can help you hold the cruise line accountable.
Contact us now to speak with a cruise ship medical negligence lawyer.