Cruises are supposed to be a fun vacation, an escape from work and stress at home. Unfortunately, for many cruise passengers, their dream vacation can turn into a nightmare if they become seriously ill on board. Many cruise lines have made the news when outbreaks of norovirus were reported onboard their ships. Norovirus is a highly contagious illness that causes nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, diarrhea, and, sometimes, fever and headache. It is usually spread by physical touch, or it may also spread through contaminated water and food. In a cruise ship, where thousands of passengers may be staying in tight quarters for a week or longer, norovirus can spread quickly. If the ship’s crew has failed to properly clean and sanitize the ship, the cruise line may be liable for injuries. Our Florida cruise ship injury attorneys specialize in a wide range injury and accident cases such as crime on cruise ships to slip, trip and fall accidents.
MORE ABOUT CRUISE SHIP HEALTH CONCERNS
Legionnaire’s Disease is also not uncommon on cruise ships. The bacterium that causes the disease, Legionella, thrives in warm water. Hot tubs and the plumbing systems on cruise ships are often the perfect settings for these bacteria to grow. Legionnaire’s Disease is deadly. Roughly 15 percent of those who catch the disease will die. If hot tubs are not sufficiently heated on cruise ships, passengers are at risk of becoming ill. The bacterium is killed by hot water.
Additionally, many cruise passengers report food poisoning. Undercooked meat and fish and unsanitary kitchen conditions cause illness. Cruise lines may be liable for harm caused by food poisoning if it is found that kitchen staff did not follow proper precautions when preparing and serving food to passengers.
If you are a passenger on a cruise ship, and you become ill while onboard, how do you recover? First, you should seek legal advice from an attorney experienced in these claims. will look at the facts of your claim and will determine whether it is appropriate to pursue legal action.
Your attorney will investigate whether staff acted reasonably during your cruise. For example, did they maintain a clean kitchen? Were passenger cabins properly sanitized before passengers came on board? Were hot tubs properly heated? Your attorney will request records from the cruise line to investigate the conditions on board.
If it is determined that the cruise ship staff did not keep the ship clean, or if they failed to otherwise maintain passenger wellness on board, you may be able to pursue a claim for your injuries if you can demonstrate that your injuries (food poisoning, norovirus, etc.) were directly linked to the conditions on board.
Contact our cruise ship injury lawyers today to evaluate your claim
There are deadlines in place that limit the amount of time one has to file a claim against a cruise ship. At Gerson & Schwartz, P.A., our cruise ship accident attorneys are experienced in taking legal action against cruise lines. Contact us toll-free today at (877) 475-2905.