Thinking About a Vacation
Believe it or not, even you folks lucky enough to get away for vacations have legal issues to consider!
Let's say, for example, that you're reclining on a deck chair with only the turquoise Caribbean all the way to the horizon, but last night's sushi isn't agreeing with you and you decide to see whether you can find where the ship's physician is dozing. The thing you should know - and you would if you read the fine print on your cruising contract - is that if the doc misdiagnoses your ailment as food poisoning but it's really your appendix that's acting up, the cruise line isn't responsible. That's right, the doc may eventually be on the hook - if you can figure out where he/she has sailed off to - but not the crafty cruise company.
But what if you don't think the Maalox is doing the trick and you ask to be evacuated to a hospital somewhere on terra firma? If the captain says you've just got to tough it out in your cabin, and dire consequences ensue, now the cruise line itself has contributed to the problem. So if you or your travel companion really feels like you need more help than the sea doc can provide, don't take that diagnosis lying down in your stateroom; make sure you insist on a detour - maybe even an air lift - to a bricks and mortar facility. And, if necessary, point out how the hard-working lawyer back home says the liability works.
OK, this time let's say you dozed off on one of those powdery beaches, and now you've got third degree burns because your sunblock deserted you. The local hospital isn't going to accept your Anthem card, but if you want to be reimbursed by the carrier when you get home, you need to find the hospital door that says the local equivalent of "Emergency Room", and get your treatment there. If you just make an appointment to see the local doc for an office visit, you'll likely have your claim for reimbursement denied - even though that bill may be a fraction of what the ER will charge!
Finally, let's say you're fine physically, but you're sick because someone broke into your hotel room and stole your Rolex - the one you shouldn't have brought in the first place but then forgot to put in that little safe. Or maybe someone grabbed your cell phone while you were uploading your vacation photos and didn't realize you'd wandered into a sketchy neighborhood. In order to collect on your homeowners' policy when you thaw out back here, you'll need to bring either a loss report from the hotel security officer or from the local police. And as with the medical bill, if you're someplace where English is a foreign language, you'll do well to have someone provide you with a translation that won't look like Greek to the travel-deprived claims agent. One more thing to keep in mind: Unless you've specially scheduled a valuable item like the Rolex or diamond ring at its real value, your policy's only going to cover a fraction of its worth, and that's the case whether you're stuck at home or lounging poolside somewhere exotic.
We could think up lots of other legal jams to mess up your R&R, but why ruin your fun. Just prepare as best you can - you know, leave the valuables at home if you can, take extra copies of all your critical documents with you in case of a mishap, and don't let your good judgment take its own vacation!
Posted 03/19/2014 Misc.
Let's say, for example, that you're reclining on a deck chair with only the turquoise Caribbean all the way to the horizon, but last night's sushi isn't agreeing with you and you decide to see whether you can find where the ship's physician is dozing. The thing you should know - and you would if you read the fine print on your cruising contract - is that if the doc misdiagnoses your ailment as food poisoning but it's really your appendix that's acting up, the cruise line isn't responsible. That's right, the doc may eventually be on the hook - if you can figure out where he/she has sailed off to - but not the crafty cruise company.
But what if you don't think the Maalox is doing the trick and you ask to be evacuated to a hospital somewhere on terra firma? If the captain says you've just got to tough it out in your cabin, and dire consequences ensue, now the cruise line itself has contributed to the problem. So if you or your travel companion really feels like you need more help than the sea doc can provide, don't take that diagnosis lying down in your stateroom; make sure you insist on a detour - maybe even an air lift - to a bricks and mortar facility. And, if necessary, point out how the hard-working lawyer back home says the liability works.
OK, this time let's say you dozed off on one of those powdery beaches, and now you've got third degree burns because your sunblock deserted you. The local hospital isn't going to accept your Anthem card, but if you want to be reimbursed by the carrier when you get home, you need to find the hospital door that says the local equivalent of "Emergency Room", and get your treatment there. If you just make an appointment to see the local doc for an office visit, you'll likely have your claim for reimbursement denied - even though that bill may be a fraction of what the ER will charge!
Finally, let's say you're fine physically, but you're sick because someone broke into your hotel room and stole your Rolex - the one you shouldn't have brought in the first place but then forgot to put in that little safe. Or maybe someone grabbed your cell phone while you were uploading your vacation photos and didn't realize you'd wandered into a sketchy neighborhood. In order to collect on your homeowners' policy when you thaw out back here, you'll need to bring either a loss report from the hotel security officer or from the local police. And as with the medical bill, if you're someplace where English is a foreign language, you'll do well to have someone provide you with a translation that won't look like Greek to the travel-deprived claims agent. One more thing to keep in mind: Unless you've specially scheduled a valuable item like the Rolex or diamond ring at its real value, your policy's only going to cover a fraction of its worth, and that's the case whether you're stuck at home or lounging poolside somewhere exotic.
We could think up lots of other legal jams to mess up your R&R, but why ruin your fun. Just prepare as best you can - you know, leave the valuables at home if you can, take extra copies of all your critical documents with you in case of a mishap, and don't let your good judgment take its own vacation!
Posted 03/19/2014 Misc.