Can Royal Caribbean Employees Who Were Stuck at Sea During Covid File a Lawsuit?
Many employees of Royal Caribbean cruises have been affected by the coronavirus outbreak, and many have become ill or even passed away because of the conditions on their ships. Today, many cruise employees are still stranded on cruise ships, unable to return home because of complex international and national rules on the matter. However, the conditions that some cruise employees face could mean that cruise operators like Royal Caribbean could be at fault for unsafe, unsanitary, or inhumane conditions on their ships.
If you or a loved one worked on a Royal Caribbean cruise and was stranded aboard the ship because of the coronavirus outbreak, call Rivkind Margulies & Rivkind, P.A. today. Our attorneys for Royal Caribbean employees stuck at sea due to coronavirus might be able to fight to get you or your loved one the compensation they deserve after facing unsafe conditions or acquiring COVID-19 while in quarantine on a ship. We also represent the families of those killed because of these conditions. For a free legal consultation, call our law offices today at (866) 386-1762.
Suing Royal Caribbean for Cruise Employees Stuck on the Ship During Coronavirus
At the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, many cruise companies were negligent in how they screened passengers, continued to go ahead with cruises despite the risk of infection, or how they instituted quarantine procedures aboard their ships. While many of the crew employees on these ships at that time have been sent home, others are still stranded at sea, facing increasingly unsafe conditions.
Lawsuits could potentially be filed against any company responsible for these kinds of conditions. While Royal Caribbean and other cruise companies by no means caused the coronavirus outbreak, they are responsible for every person aboard their ship. Failing to screen passengers, cancel cruises, and institute quarantine protocols could be considered negligent. Even after instituting quarantines, the conditions aboard the ship could have been made unsafe because of the cruise ship’s mistakes in how the quarantine was instituted or how crewmembers were treated in quarantine.
If the cruise ship company’s negligence can be considered the cause of a crewmember’s injuries or illness, they could be entitled to file a lawsuit against the cruise company. Similarly, if Royal Caribbean’s negligence led to your loved one’s death, the cruise company might be held liable in a wrongful death lawsuit.
Proving Fault in a Lawsuit for Crewmembers Stranded on Royal Caribbean Cruises During COVID-19
To prove that the cruise company was responsible for your injuries or illness or the death of a loved one during the coronavirus pandemic, you must be able to prove that their negligence led to your injuries or illness.
As mentioned, failing to screen passengers, cancel cruises, and institute quarantines could be examples of negligence. If these mistakes led to your injuries or illness because the virus was not kept in check through reasonable safety practices, you could be entitled to sue for any effects that exposure caused.
Similarly, the conditions during quarantine and lockdown on a cruise ship are growing increasingly dire for many crewmembers. Cruise ship employees on some ships have reportedly spent 21 hours each day in quarantine in their cabins – which essentially makes the conditions like solitary confinement. These conditions could be considered inhumane and might be unreasonable. Cruise operators could also be negligent if they fail to clean their ships and enforce proper social distancing, allowing crewmembers still in quarantine to get sick.
Unsanitary and unsafe conditions could also lead to other infections, illnesses, and injuries. If you contracted any medical issue or suffered from COVID-19, the ship might have had the duty to evacuate you for medical treatment. If they failed to do so promptly, you could be entitled to compensation.
Lastly, the dire conditions could cause significant mental health issues for the crewmembers. The mental and emotional suffering of these conditions might be unavoidable in some cases, but unsafe or inhumane conditions can worsen these anxieties. In some cases, the conditions could be responsible for cruise workers committing suicide. If the cruise ship operators did not make the ship reasonably safe to prevent suicide attempts by installing safety railings and safety nets in high locations or restricting access to those decks, they might be responsible.
Damages for Royal Caribbean Cruise Workers Stuck at Sea from COVID-19
If you or a loved one was stuck at sea in quarantine on a Royal Caribbean cruise ship, you could be entitled to claim damages for the harms you faced. One key harm in these cases is the mental and emotional distress of quarantine. In some cases, this harm could lead to damages if unreasonably dangerous or inhumane conditions harmed you beyond what is reasonably expected in quarantine.
Another set of damages you might be able to claim is compensation for medical bills related to your conditions. If you contracted COVID-19 or were otherwise made ill or injured because of the conditions on the cruise ship, you could be entitled to compensation to cover your medical bills. This could include coverage for COVID-19 treatment or other conditions.
If your loved one passed away because of conditions on the cruise ship, you could be entitled to other damages as well. These damages could potentially include compensation for medical bills, pain and suffering, lost wages, lost companionship, funeral expenses, burial costs, and other damages. For help understanding what your claim might be worth, call our attorneys today.
Contact Our Attorneys for Royal Caribbean Workers Injured During Coronavirus for a Free Legal Consultation
Call Rivkind Margulies & Rivkind, P.A. today if you or a loved one was stranded on a Royal Caribbean cruise ship as a worker or staff member. Our attorneys for Royal Caribbean employees stuck at sea due to coronavirus have been monitoring news about cruise ships during the coronavirus pandemic, and we are prepared to fight for the victims who were harmed by unreasonable, negligent reactions by cruise ship companies. For a free legal consultation on your potential case, call our law offices today at (866) 386-1762.
