The coronavirus pandemic has dramatically affected the lives of everybody in this country and has altered the way many businesses operate. As we are beginning to understand the scope of this virus, new information shows that cruise lines knew of the risks of COVID-19 and chose to set sail anyway. At Colson Hicks Eidson, our award-winning cruise line injury attorneys want to discuss this issue. We are always ready to help anyone who has been harmed or severely injured due to the negligence of cruise line operators.
Evidence that cruise lines knew of coronavirus dangers
According to a report by Bloomberg, Carnival Cruise Lines knew about the risk that COVID-19 posed for passengers, but continued operations as normal on ships. On March 4, 2020, a letter from Grant Tarling, Carnival’s chief medical officer, was put under the doors of passengers. The letter announced that the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) had begun an investigation into a small cluster of coronavirus cases that may have been linked to the ship – the same ship that passengers were now on.
That same day, passengers noticed new hand sanitizer locations on the ship and also saw crew members wearing gloves. However, life on board continued as normal. Guests prepared for concerts and played card games at shared tables. All of the pools and hot tubs were open.
On March 5, the ship’s Captain announced that the entire ship would be quarantined and that all passengers needed to go to their cabins and shelter in place.
This was not the only instance
In February, another one of Carnival’s ocean liners, the Diamond Princess, accounted for more confirmed coronavirus infections than any other place except for China. Since that time, seven of the company’s ships have been plagued by COVID-19 cases, resulting in more than 1,500 confirmed infections and at least 39 deaths.
However, other cruise lines have also been affected. How many of them continued normal operations while knowing that they may have a COVID-19 problem?
On April 9, 2020, the CDC extended its original no-sail order for all cruise ships in US waters for an additional 100 days. This would mean that cruise lines would not be able to operate in US waters until July, but three major lines have continued to state they will resume cruising well before then.
We can help you through this
If you or a loved one have been catastrophically injured, or if you have lost a loved one due to the negligent actions of cruise line operators, seek legal assistance immediately. At Colson Hicks Eidson, our award-winning team has the experience and resources necessary to secure the compensation our clients are entitled to. This can include:
- All medical expenses related to the cruise ship injury
- Lost income if a victim is unable to work
- Pain and suffering damages
- Loss of personal enjoyment damages
- Punitive damages in cases of cruise line gross negligence
If the negligence of the cruise line resulted in the wrongful death or catastrophic injury of a loved one, we will pursue compensation for your loss of companionship damages, loss of consortium, and loss of future earnings.
Our cruise ship injury attorneys are ready to help clients in Florida and throughout the United States. You can contact us for a free consultation by clicking here or by calling us at 305-476-7400.
