Anyone who has taken a cruise vacation will tell you that cruises are a truly unique and memorable vacation experience for individuals and families alike. A while modern cruise ships are enormous in nature, despite their size, they still have relatively tight quarters and require a high level of close contact and shared facilities between passengers. These unescapable conditions have made it frighteningly common for many cruise ship passengers to contract serious illnesses, ruining their vacation and sometimes leaving long lasting effects depending on the illness. These conditions are currently front-page news due to the global outbreak of Coronavirus infecting hundreds of passengers.
If you’ve contracted Coronavirus while on a cruise ship, then one of the issues at the forefront of your mind might be what your legal options are. If you would like to learn more about your legal options, including the possibility of filing a personal injury suit after contracting Coronavirus aboard a cruise ship, please read on to find out how you can speak to an experienced maritime injury lawyer for free and how they can make your case easier.
Coronavirus (COVID-10) is Highly Contagious and Spreads Rapidly in Closed Quarters Environments Such as A Cruise Ship.
The reason that so many people are falling ill on cruise ships is because of the closed environment and shared facilities which provide Coronavirus with an easy route of transmission between passengers. This easy transmission can make it extremely difficult to prove fault or negligence on the part of the cruise line.
If you contracted Coronavirus on a cruise ship, you need to speak with an experienced maritime attorney about your legal options as soon as possible. Several vessels may have known that the virus was present on the vessel and they may have not disclosed this information to boarding passengers.
Don’t Delay Filing Your Case
Cruise line passenger tickets generally include a six-month notice of claim provision pursuant to 46 U.S.C. app. § 183b. Because of this short deadline, it is critical to carefully examine your passenger ticket contract for any notice provision. If your cruise vacation ended due to Coronavirus, do not waive your legal rights and forget about the experience. Regardless of what state you live in, a personal injury suit involving a cruise ship is governed by a shortened statute of limitations. Under most state law, you generally have three years to file a lawsuit, however, personal injury lawsuits brought by maritime passengers is governed by general federal maritime law as well as the applicable federal statutes. In addition to the six-month notice of claim provision found in 46 U.S.C. app. § 183b, this statute also permits the operators of cruise lines to include in passenger contracts provisions limiting a passenger’s time to bring suit to one year from the date of injury. This deadline is strictly enforced by courts and when this time period runs out, you will no longer be able to file a suit or receive the compensation you deserve. To both stay within the statute of limitations and to prove the seriousness of your case, make sure to contact an experienced maritime attorney who will file your suit as soon as possible. Nearly all cruise line tickets contain such a limitation.
At The Law Office of Neil T. Lindquist, we have experienced maritime attorneys who can help cruise line passengers who have been affected by Coronavirus (COVID-19). Call us at 425-372-7799 or contact us online to arrange a consultation with an admiralty lawyer at our Kirkland office.