Mass Tort Attorneys

Coronavirus on Cruises and Mass Torts

Coronavirus has changed the world in many ways - all of a sudden, we were forced to work from home, stay away from family members, and experience the world in a new way. In 2021, the vaccine progress is commendable, but the world in which we live has evolved. It’s hard to imagine that not so long ago we were walking around shops, spending time with large groups of friends and family, and not having to wear a mask or take other precautions.

Additionally, the COVID-19 global pandemic has opened up new areas of law. In April 2020, passengers on a Carnival cruise announced their intention to sue the company after poor management during the coronavirus crisis. Sadly, one passenger passed away and lawyers representing the family said that the cruise line allowed exposed passengers to congregate with a new batch of passengers.

Elsewhere, another couple said that crew members from Princess Cruise Lines didn’t do enough to protect passengers despite having knowledge of an outbreak. When boarding the ship, all passengers had to do was fill out a single piece of paper confirming that they weren’t sick.

In the year since these events, the cruise industry has come under fire for its actions and reactions to the coronavirus pandemic. Look online and you’ll find story upon story of cruise ship workers and management acting irresponsibly. The number of COVID-19 claims has increased exponentially to the point where Florida cruise ship coronavirus lawyers are working constantly to obtain compensation for clients.

COVID-19 Claims

At the end of 2020, it was revealed that 1,500 people gave a positive COVID test reading after a cruise. From Carnival cruises alone, it has been said that 39 people lost their life. Therefore, this is a very serious area and one in which we can help at The Injury Firm.

It’s clear that many cruise lines and companies acted negligently in the face of this novel coronavirus - the most widely publicized of these cases came in March 2020 with the Grand Princess. Traveling between San Francisco and Mexico, a passenger tested positive for coronavirus on February 19th yet the cruise line continued operations as normal. It wasn’t until March 10th that the passengers and crew members were forced into quarantine.

Cruise Line Negligence

If you think that you’ve been a victim of cruise line negligence, we urge you to get in contact with us as soon as possible. As the novel coronavirus continued to spread towards the beginning of last year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention set out guidelines for containing the virus. In fact, it even offered specific advice for maritime vessels. Despite these guidelines, it seems that some ships and companies didn’t contain the spread and may not have followed the advice as closely as desired.

If you tested positive for coronavirus after the negligence of crew members on a cruise, reach out to The Injury Firm. With a Florida cruise ship coronavirus lawyer, you can file a mass tort case and receive the compensation you deserve for not only the medical bills and lost wages but also the emotional anguish and pain and suffering.

Let’s not forget, this is a virus that has killed millions of people around the world and continues to wreak havoc on a global scale even in 2021. Older generations exposed to the virus often struggle with the virus because of pre-existing medical conditions and a weaker immune system. Coronavirus is particularly problematic for those with liver disease, cardiovascular conditions, kidney disease, and diabetes.

With this knowledge, cruise lines should have acted responsibly and taken extreme measures to protect ALL passengers. Unfortunately, the sheer number of cases shows that many didn’t do this.

Difference Between Class-action Lawsuits and Mass Torts

With the rise in cases in this field, there has been lots of confusion regarding class-action lawsuits and mass torts. Earlier, we mentioned that hundreds of people have been affected by the negligence of specific companies. With this in mind, it makes legal sense to compile all of these cases into one larger case rather than presenting them separately.

At the moment, a mass tort is the chosen route for COVID-19 claims and this is due to the way that mass torts are handled in law. With a class-action lawsuit, all victims are considered a ‘class’, and the ‘class representative’ looks after this one plaintiff. On the other hand, a mass tort still contains a large group of people, but each is treated individually.

What does this mean? Well, every single plaintiff needs to prove damages, liability, and injuries. For example, The Injury Firm will represent you as part of the mass tort. The mass tort contains a group of people affected by coronavirus on cruises, but each individual needs to prove the facts of the case and how they were affected by the negligence or reckless actions of the defendant.

Mass Torts with COVID-19 Claims

The reason that mass torts are generally chosen over class-action lawsuits with COVID-19 claims is that each case is unique. With a class-action lawsuit, the single class representative presents a single case to a judge or jury. Here, the relationship between each plaintiff and the defendant varies too much for a class-action lawsuit, and this is why a mass tort is preferred.

Everybody has a unique experience with coronavirus and a mass tort allows each plaintiff to present their case, talk about their experience, file for the correct damages, and follow the right legal procedure.

Examples of Negligence

We’ve touched briefly on this topic, but what does negligence actually mean with regards to COVID-19? We expect cruise vacations to offer a relaxing haven from the stresses of the world. Therefore, it was probably a shock to walk away with a novel coronavirus. While some cruise lines did everything that they could to protect passengers, others simply did not.

Examples of negligence include:

• Insufficient warnings and COVID protocols
• Poor cleaning and sanitizing procedures
• Not disinfecting correctly
• Not containing the virus and taking appropriate steps to isolate passengers

Summary

It seems that Carnival didn’t adhere to the CDC guidelines, and this is what has put the company under so much pressure. With the Ruby Princess in Australia and New Zealand, crew members allowed new passengers onto the ship without cleaning and sanitizing properly. Elsewhere, they didn’t perform temperature checks.

All over the world, it seems that cruise lines failed to react accordingly to novel coronavirus. If you’ve been a victim of this negligence, choose The Injury Firm as your Florida cruise ship coronavirus lawyer. Cruise vacations should be a relaxing break, or at least a safe space to forget stress, not a hub for COVID-19.

Back in November, a judge determined that passengers of the Princess cruise had a case against Carnival and that a lawsuit was justified. Contact The Injury Firm to learn more about a potential case if you tested positive for coronavirus after a cruise. We’ll discuss your options and start building a claim against the cruise line. Don’t worry, you aren’t alone, and your case will likely go alongside others in a mass tort.