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The novel coronavirus has affected life across the world, putting thousands in the hospital and killing many. If you or a loved one caught coronavirus on a cruise ship, you might be entitled to sue for any negligence that led to your exposure. Carnival Cruise Lines is one of the cruise ship companies that had the highest number of coronavirus cases on board, and our attorneys work to represent victims of this outbreak against that cruise line.
If you or a loved one was exposed to coronavirus on a Carnival Cruise, call The Queenan Law Firm today. Our Texas attorneys for coronavirus negligence caused by Carnival cruise ship company might be able to take your case and fight to get you and your family the compensation you deserve. To set up a free legal consultation with our lawyers, call us today at (817) 476-1797.
Suing for COVID-19 on a Carnival Cruise Ship
If you or a loved one was affected by the coronavirus after spending time on a Carnival Cruise, you might be entitled to file a lawsuit against Carnival. On a cruise ship, the cruise line owes passengers many different types of duties, such as the duty to keep the ship seaworthy, to prevent accidental injuries from dangerous premises, and to prevent injuries from avoidable illness and food poisoning. If the cruise line breached any of these duties, you might be entitled to sue them for negligence.
The coronavirus has been difficult for cruise ships to deal with. However, it should have been obvious to cruise operators at a certain point that continuing to put new passengers onto cruise ships was dangerous and could lead to the spread of coronavirus on board. If mistakes or breaches of duty led to exposure, the victims might be entitled to sue.
Lawsuits for negligence on Carnival Cruises and other cruise ships are often based on the mistakes of a few individual crewmembers. This could mean that you were injured or exposed because the captain failed to make necessary decisions, because individual crewmembers came to work sick, or because other staff made mistakes in how to handle quarantine and exposure. Other times, company-wide policies and decisions are negligent, such as the decision to set sail during a dangerous health crisis.
Examples of Negligence on a Carnival Cruise Ship Involving Coronavirus
To determine whether the cruise ship company was negligent, there must be a case-by-case examination of the facts. The circumstances in each case and on each cruise are often different, and a cruise line can only be held negligent if they failed to take reasonable steps to keep passengers safe under the given circumstances. In the early days of the coronavirus pandemic, the threat of COVID-19 might not have been obvious, and it might have been reasonable for cruise lines to continue cruises. However, there became a point where new cruises from the U.S. were halted, and continuing cruises might have been unreasonable even before that. However, other instances of negligence could also be responsible for the spread of coronavirus on a cruise ship.
Some early cases of coronavirus occurred because of negligent quarantine procedures on cruise ships that were already at sea. If Carnival failed to properly train its employees in how to institute a quarantine or failed to use proper techniques to fight this specific virus, the crew could have continued exposing passengers to the virus. This could lead to spread through food trays and other items that were passed between crewmembers and passengers since the coronavirus can live on surfaces. It could also involve failing to properly enforce quarantines or using air conditioning systems that cycled viral aerosols between cabins.
Cruises that did set sail during the coronavirus pandemic might have had issues of improper passenger screening. It might have been reasonable for cruises to screen passengers by taking their temperature before allowing them to board the ship – or at least asking questions to screen out passengers that had recently traveled to affected areas or been in contact with people that had COVID-19. Failing to screen passengers could be unreasonable, and if Carnival Cruise Line made these kinds of errors, our attorneys might be able to hold them accountable.
Damages in Texas Lawsuits for Coronavirus Exposure on Carnival Cruises
Damages in your case will depend on what harms and damages you suffered. Many victims of coronavirus face few symptoms, while others might need hospitalization and treatment on a respirator. If you were exposed to coronavirus because of negligence on a Carnival Cruise, you should be able to claim compensation for any medical expenses that stemmed from your exposure. That could include acute care in the ICU as well as ongoing care for any complications, such as harm to your lungs.
If you missed work because of your exposure to the coronavirus, you might be entitled to damages for your lost wages. Many people have spent time out of work because of coronavirus even without being sick or exposed themselves, so some of these damages might not be attributable to your case of COVID-19.
Pain and suffering is often severe with acute COVID-19 cases. You might be entitled to substantial compensation for your pain and suffering if you had a severe case.
If you lost a loved one because of coronavirus, your family might suffer additional damages. Talk to a lawyer about recovering compensation for lost wages, funeral expenses, lost companionship, lost household services, and other damages.
Call Our Texas Lawyers for COVID-19 Cases Involving Negligence on a Carnival Cruise
If you or a loved one caught coronavirus while on a Carnival Cruise, your exposure might be attributable to the cruise line’s negligence. Call The Queenan Law Firm today for help with your potential case. Our Texas attorneys for coronavirus negligence by Carnival cruise ship company might be able to help you and your family seek compensation for medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering or for the death of a loved one caused by COVID-19. For your free case consultation, call us today at (817) 476-1797.