What You Need to Know About Food Poisoning on Cruise Ships

Food poisoning can also be caused by under-cooked food and food workers not washing their hands. This can lead to the spread of viruses and bacteria like salmonella and E. coli. These pathogens can cause symptoms that include vomiting, abdominal cramps, and diarrhea. Once this happens to you, you can kiss those offshore excursions goodbye.

Nothing will ruin your vacation faster than food poisoning. The excitement and adventure of a cruise will all go out the window if you eat bad food. Before you set sail on your next cruise, read this article to stay safe.

Understanding the Source of Food-borne Illnesses

Cruises ships have a problem with food poisoning because of the close-quarter dining at the buffets. Because of the large quantities of food and the self-serve environment, you have many people touching the food. This can lead to more cases of food poisoning because illnesses like norovirus can spread quickly.

Food poisoning can also be caused by under-cooked food and food workers not washing their hands. This can lead to the spread of viruses and bacteria like salmonella and E. coli. These pathogens can cause symptoms that include vomiting, abdominal cramps, and diarrhea. Once this happens to you, you can kiss those offshore excursions goodbye.

When Can You File a Lawsuit?

If you get food poisoning while you’re on a cruise, a lawyer can help with your personal injury case. Attorneys look for acts of negligence that led to your food poisoning. They will tell you what needs to be done in order to successfully settle your case.

Even if you got sick, you must prove certain elements in order to file a lawsuit. You have to prove that the cruise ship didn't exercise enough caution with the food, and that this led to you getting sick. If you caught the flu while on the cruise ship, you most likely couldn't file a lawsuit because sickness happens everywhere.

Collecting Evidence of Negligence

Unless you caught Legionnaires disease while on the cruise ship, you may have a difficult time proving negligence. You would need a mass outbreak of food poisoning on the cruise ship to prove negligence on the part of the ship. The burden of proof in a lawsuit rests on the plaintiff.

If you were sickened on a cruise ship, you may want to pay special attention to things like:

● Were the ship’s medical facilities filled with people?

● Did the crew seem to be taking extra precautions, such as cleaning the bathrooms and not allowing self-serve?

● How many others caught food poisoning?

● Were any passengers quarantined?

● Did the cruise ship deviate from its itinerary?

Any of these things could serve as evidence that things may have gone awry. If you wind up in the hospital of the cruise ship, ask the nurses and doctors if others have wound up there for the same reason. In many cases, they won't answer, but getting a straight answer could make your lawsuit easier.

Beware of the Statute of Limitations

You must file a lawsuit soon after the sickness as well. The laws regarding cruise ships are different than your standard personal injury laws, so you may want to get a lawyer to help you understand your rights.

Most cruise ship companies have a notice requirement. This is typically written into the legal language on your ticket. If you want to file a lawsuit against them, you will have to notify them of it within a couple of months after the cruise. That leaves you a narrow window of opportunity.

Before you ever hop on a cruise ship, you may want to examine your medical coverage. Does your health insurance cover you abroad? If they don't, you may want to purchase international coverage to help with the costs. Not only does this cover you for food poisoning, but it covers you for other accidents where you may have to be airlifted out over a medical emergency.

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