New Lawsuits Rock the Cruise Industry As Passengers Claim Negligence Due To Coronavirus Exposure

It was only a matter of time before cruise passengers who had been exposed to coronas virus aboard cruise ships began to sue the cruise lines as a result of this exposure. We have already blogged about several lawsuits that passengers have filed against Princess Cruise Lines and it’s parent company Carnival, and it appears that many more are likely to come.

On Monday, USAToday.com reported that former Princess cruise passengers have filed two new lawsuits against Princess and Carnival, alleging that the companies negligently failed to screen passengers for COVID-19, and failed to protect passengers once cruise line officials discovered that some passengers were ill with the virus.

The plaintiffs’ lawyer filed the suit in the U.S. District Court in California, on behalf of passengers who sailed aboard the Grand Princess and Ruby Princess cruise ships during the height of the coronavirus pandemic. There are indications that at least one of the suits seeks class-action status, reports USA Today.

In a statement, Princess told USA Today that its “response throughout this process has focused on the well-being of our guests and crew within the parameters dictated to us by the government agencies involved and the evolving medical understanding of this new illness.” The company also indicated that it would not comment on pending litigation.