"Treated as Infected, 2-Week Cruise Trip Ruined"… British Man Sues

A British man who was diagnosed with an infection during a cruise trip and quarantined in a land hospital, only to find out it was a misdiagnosis, has filed a lawsuit against the cruise company.

Recently, British Daily Mail, New York Post, and others introduced the story of Steven Cassidy (60), who left for Norway with his wife to celebrate his 60th birthday and 40th wedding anniversary.

Cassidy boarding a Coast Guard helicopter
Photo by New York Post homepage capture

He boarded a luxury cruise scheduled for two weeks, but on the seventh day of the trip, he suddenly complained of leg pain. Having a history of hip surgery, he thought it was a common sciatica and visited the onboard medical center.

However, the doctor said, "There is a high possibility of infection in Cassidy's artificial hip joint," and recommended a CT scan and surgery.

Cassidy said he would get treatment after the trip and was first prescribed three days of antibiotics. What seemed to be a concluded treatment took a different turn when the coast guard warned Cassidy and two other passengers to be quarantined on nearby land.

Cassidy was able to walk but was placed in a wheelchair and brought onto the deck. He was then transported by a coast guard helicopter to a hospital in Lerwick, Scotland, about 800 miles (1,287 km) away.

The diagnosis revealed that it was not an infection nor a serious condition requiring a CT scan, but simply 'muscle strain.'

It was confirmed that the other two passengers quarantined on land with Cassidy were also misdiagnosed and were all released without any quarantine measures or treatment.

Cassidy stated, "The doctors in Lerwick said I was not in a condition requiring surgery," adding, "There was no need to see a surgeon, and even the CT scan that the onboard doctor mentioned was unnecessary."

Cassidy suffered significant financial damage during the process of being transported to the hospital.

He ruined his two-week trip, had to change planes twice to return home after visiting the hospital, and stayed one night at a hotel. It is reported that Cassidy spent more than $1,000 (about 1.3 million KRW).

In an interview with local media, Cassidy said, "I only had leg pain, but the doctor's misdiagnosis caused me great damage," and added, "I will demand compensation from the cruise company for the ruined vacation and the cost of the flight back home."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.