Travelling for business or pleasure was a regular thing before the outbreak, and one favored way for people to vacation was by cruise. For a hefty sum, you received a hefty return where on these luxury ships you get opulent rooms, gourmet meals, entertainment and more as you travel to a dreamy destination. All the planning is done for you by the company, leaving you the easy task of just enjoying your trip.
Cruise ships unfortunately have the nasty reputation of being “petri-dishes” Since all those aboard a ship are subjected to confined spaces, it’s not difficult at all for bacterial infections to spread, especially the airborne Covid-19. Today, several cruise lines have made plans to begin operations again for the first time, but this has also gained great concern that these Vacation companies are leaving themselves open to personal injury lawsuits from sick passengers and their attorneys, like a personal injury attorney from Pilof Law as well as wrongful death lawsuits from those who would “eventually” die by contracting the virus on the ship.
At the start of the outbreak, with several high profile cases of ships with infections being prohibited from entering their destination countries, cruises have been cancelled en masse and they have gained overall, a new reputation as a surefire way to contract the virus while facing complications in enjoying the planned vacation amenities that one was promised.
Suing a cruise line is generally very difficult, not only are cruise lines not governed by the Occupational Saftey and Health Act (OSHA) or the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), these also lines create their own legal protections through waivers that make you sign almost everything away short of your soul. The result is that you become restricted to where and how a lawsuit can be filed, the damages you can receive, the claims you can make and in some cases the contract will waive your right of a class-action lawsuit.
This isn’t to say that one can’t sue a cruise line as several companies have faced lawsuits for their handling in early-2020. One should be cautious as nowadays one can expect companies to have learned their lesson and to have reinforced their legal defenses.
Whether or not that these companies are reinforcing their sanitation practices and distancing guidelines is yet to be determined.
