Coronavirus Lawsuits Filed Against Princess Cruise Lines After COVID-19 Outbreak
The suits allege that Princess Cruise Lines knew a passenger left the Grand Princess with symptoms of Coronavirus, yet the company allowed thousands more to board, putting their health at risk, according to ABC 7.
“We didn’t hear about anybody sick on this boat until we were like the second or third day in the cruise,” said Grand Princess passenger Steve Kurvivial. “We started hearing rumors of other passengers on the previous cruise having some illness issues.”
The 5 lawsuits, which were filed just days after passengers were forced to begin a mandatory 2-week quarantine, follow news of a similar quarantine in Japan of passengers and staff aboard the Diamond Princess, another luxury cruise ship owned and operated by Princess Cruise Lines.
Son of Passenger Who Died From Coronavirus Sues Carnival Cruises
The son of a 74-year-old man who died from coronavirus on a Hawaiian cruise has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Princess and Carnival Cruise Lines, according to CBS Los Angeles. The suit alleges that Carl E. Weidner, a retired steel worker from Pennsylvania, tested positive for COVID-19 shortly after the Grand Princess was quarantined at Travis Air Base.
Within days, Weidner was placed on a ventilator, then into a medically-induced coma before dying without his girlfriend or children present. Weidner was “forced to die alone” due to the negligence of staff on the Grand Princess and its owners, according to the lawsuit.
California Couple Sues Princess Cruises for COVID-19 Infections
Princess Cruises has been named as a defendant in another lawsuit accusing the company of not informing passengers when the coronavirus outbreak began, according to CBS Los Angeles. Plaintiffs in the suit are a Tarzana couple who both got infected during a 15-day cruise through Asia aboard the Diamond Princess. They claim that along with not being informed about the outbreak in a timely manner, Princess Cruises also didn’t assist them enough in obtaining medical care after they became ill.
“I thought I was going to die on this ship,” said Plaintiff Farah Toutounchian. “I wanted to die next to my husband. I begged them.”
Quarantined for Coronavirus on the Diamond Princess: ABC News Video
Carnival Halts Stock Buybacks as Coronavirus Lawsuits Emerge
Carnival Cruise Line has announced that it suspending its dividend and stock buyback program after being swamped with Coronavirus lawsuits, according to TheStreet. Shares of Carnival fell 13% upon news of the cancellations, which was disclosed in a regulatory filing.
“As Covid-19 continues to impact global health and commerce, we are sorry to extend our pause in operations until May 11,” Carnival Cruise stated in the filing. “If you have an impacted sailing, you will have received an email direct from Carnival or your travel advisor.”
Do I Have a Princess Cruise Lawsuit?
The Workplace and Environmental Litigation Group at our law firm is an experienced team of trial lawyers that focus on the representation of plaintiffs in Princess Cruise Lawsuits. We are handling individual litigation nationwide and currently accepting new Coronavirus cases in all 50 states.
If you or a loved one has been exposed to the Coronavirus on a Princess Cruise, you should contact our law firm immediately. You may be entitled to a settlement by filing a suit and we can help.