ILLNESS OUTBREAKS ON CRUISE SHIPS
Sick on a cruise? Find out if the ship should have warned you.
Norovirus, COVID-19, Legionnaires’ disease and food poisoning can spread fast in close quarters, so cruise lines are expected to act early. If a ship kept sailing without isolating cases, cleaning properly or warning guests, however, it may have to answer for the illness.
Most cruise tickets give you one year to file, and often six months to give written notice. So the clock may have started the day you first felt sick.
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Results
- $150KCarnival · passenger accident
- $80KRoyal · slip & fall
- $35KRoyal · slip & fall
- $100KHolland America · slip & fall
- $38KMSC · slip & fall
- $70KCarnival · slip & fall on deck
HOW OUTBREAKS SPREAD ON SHIPS
On a ship, one sick guest can quickly become many.
Thousands of people share the same buffets, hallways, elevators and cabins for days. Because of that, a single case of norovirus or COVID-19 can spread quickly, and an outbreak may be well under way before most passengers hear about it.
Cruise lines are expected to take reasonable steps to limit that spread. For example, a case may turn on how fast sick guests were isolated, how often busy areas were cleaned, how food was handled and whether new passengers were told about illness already on board. In addition, medical logs, cleaning records and public health reports can show what the line knew and when.
Norovirus & stomach illness
Vomiting and diarrhea that can sweep through a ship within days.
COVID-19 & respiratory viruses
Cases that spread when sick guests are not isolated or tested.
Legionnaires’ disease
Bacteria in hot tubs, spas or water systems that are poorly maintained.
Food poisoning
Salmonella, E. coli and other illness from undercooked or mishandled food.
Buffets & dining rooms
Shared serving tools, food left out too long and weak hand hygiene.
Contaminated water
Drinking, ice or pool water that is not treated or tested properly.
Weak isolation & cleaning
Sick guests left in public areas, and surfaces cleaned too little or too late.
No warning at boarding
New passengers who were never told about illness on the last voyage.
Anywhere else onboard
Spas, gyms, kids’ clubs and more. A hazard isn’t limited to the places listed here.
WHAT YOU HAVE TO PROVE
The cruise line did not do enough to protect you.
Under general maritime law, a cruise line owes passengers reasonable care under the circumstances. In an illness case, that can mean showing the line knew, or should have known, about the risk, such as earlier cases on the ship or a recent outbreak. It can also mean showing the line failed to act, for instance by not isolating sick guests, not cleaning properly or not warning new passengers.
Notice of the risk
Earlier cases, public health reports or crew who knew guests were sick.
A failure to act
Weak isolation, poor cleaning, unsafe food or no warning to guests.
Illness and loss
Medical records, test results, lost income and the trip itself.
WHAT TO DO IF YOU GET SICK ON A CRUISE
Get care first, then protect the records.
Get medical care
See the ship’s doctor, and your own doctor once you are home, because each visit creates a record. Keep every bill and test result.
Ask for your records
Request a copy of the medical report and any incident report. Do not sign statements you have not read.
Write down your symptoms
Note when they started, what you ate, where you were and who else was sick.
Get names
Collect names and cabin numbers for travel companions and other guests who also fell ill.
Keep your ticket and folio
Your ticket sets the deadlines and the court. Save your folio, photos of ship notices and any messages from the cruise line too.
Call a Cruise Injury Attorney
Ship medical logs and cleaning records can be lost or overwritten. We can send a written request that they be preserved.
ILLNESS OUTBREAK RESULTS
All results[Confirm] ILLNESS TYPE
$0.0M[Confirm] One plain line about a real illness case the firm handled.
[Confirm] ILLNESS TYPE
$0.0M[Confirm] One plain line about a real illness case the firm handled.
[Confirm] ILLNESS TYPE
$0.0M[Confirm] One plain line about a real illness case the firm handled.
Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
IN CLIENTS’ WORDS
“Sylvia was a pleasure to work with. She answered any questions I had and was patient and kind to me. She is an asset to the company and anyone who has the pleasure of working with her, is lucky.”
“Chalik & Chalik is a great firm if you prefer a smaller and more family oriented firm. The paralegals at this firm are an absolute treasure and they will work so hard to help you out and make sure you are taken care of throughout the case and if you have any questions they will help answer any of them.”
QUESTIONS BEFORE THE CALL
Can I sue a cruise line if I got sick on board?
Often, yes, depending on the facts. A cruise line can be held responsible when it fails to take reasonable care, for example by ignoring known illness, skipping basic cleaning or serving unsafe food. However, the ticket can limit where and when you can file. For that reason, a free case review is the quickest way to learn where you stand.
Is a cruise line responsible for a norovirus outbreak?
Not automatically, because illnesses like norovirus can reach a ship from many places. Even so, responsibility may still arise if the line did not isolate sick guests, clean as it should or warn new passengers. Records such as medical logs and cleaning schedules often help show what happened and when.
What if the ship already had sick passengers on the last voyage?
That can matter a great deal. If a ship sailed again with illness still on board, the question becomes whether the line took reasonable steps, such as deep cleaning, isolating cases and warning guests. Public health reports and crew records can help answer it.
Does it matter if I did not see the ship’s doctor?
It does not automatically end a claim, but a visit helps. The ship’s doctor creates a record of your symptoms and the date. If you did not go, however, your own doctor, test results and photos of ship notices can still help, so please call us either way.
How do I show my illness came from the ship?
Timing is often the starting point, along with test results and medical records. Other sick guests on the same voyage can also support the link. Because many illnesses have more than one possible source, we look at the whole picture before giving a view.
How long do I have to file an illness claim?
Most cruise tickets give you one year to file, and often six months to give written notice, both far shorter than usual injury deadlines. Because illness can take days to show up, the clock may have started before you realized you were sick. So call as soon as you can, and we will check the dates that apply to your ticket.
What does it cost to find out if I have a case?
Nothing. The case review is free, and if we take your case, we work on contingency, so our fee comes only from what we recover for you. If we do not win, you owe us nothing in attorney fees.
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