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An enjoyable cruise can turn extremely unpleasant in a hurry if you have been sickened by a foodborne illness. A California cruise ship injury attorney at the Law Offices of Preston Easley, APC can help you take legal action against the cruise line operator.
A cruise operator can be sued for any injury that you have suffered while on board the ship. This includes situations in which you have been injured in an outbreak of foodborne illness on your trip. These illnesses can do far more than ruin your trip. They can cause you extreme discomfort and even potentially endanger a passenger’s life. When that happens, you can and should hold the cruise line legally accountable.
If you have been injured on a cruise ship, reach out to an experienced maritime attorney at the Law Offices of Preston Easley, APC. Our California cruise ship injury lawyers have experience in taking on the large cruise line companies and dealing with the tactics that they may use to frustrate your lawsuit.
Foodborne Illnesses Are Too Common on Cruise Ships
Cruise ships serve food to thousands of passengers for days on end. This food is stored on the ship itself, and it is cooked by hundreds of employees. As the volume of passengers on cruise ships increases, and as the cruise lines cut corners, more customers are sickened on a daily basis. In 2024, there were 16 large outbreaks on ships that affected numerous passengers. If you have suffered an injury from food poisoning on a cruise ship, you may be able to sue the operator, although these lawsuits can be challenging.
Norovirus is the most common type of foodborne illness that cruise ship passengers suffer. It is a highly contagious disease that can spread fast in close quarters. It is not uncommon for hundreds of passengers on a ship to be sickened with norovirus. These outbreaks often begin when there is undercooked or improperly handled food. Once a passenger or crew member is sickened with norovirus, many others who come into contact with them could also develop symptoms. For example, in March 2025, there was a norovirus outbreak on the Coral Princess, which resulted in 69 passengers and 13 crew members being sickened.
Other types of foodborne illnesses and outbreaks on cruise ships can include:
- Gastroenteritis
- E coli
- Salmonella
Not only can a foodborne illness cause you intense pain in discomfort in the initial stages, but it can also result in lasting damage to your digestive system.
You Can Win a Lawsuit By Proving That the Cruise Operator Was Negligent
Like any other type of personal injury case, you must prove that the cruise ship operator was negligent in the circumstances surrounding the foodborne illness that you developed. The mere fact that you were sickened is not enough for you to win a lawsuit and receive compensation. You would need facts and evidence that show exactly what happened on the cruise ship to cause your illness.
Here, you would likely need some type of evidence about what happened on the ship. For example, your cruise ship injury attorney could use the following sources of proof to win your case:
- Medical reports that tie your illness to a certain food or contamination
- Reports from government agencies, such as the CDC, who may have investigated the outbreak
- Statements from other passengers who could have been seconds
- Surveillance and internal reports from the cruise ship company about how food was handled
Some of this evidence may be in the hands of the cruise ship company. You must obtain it in the course of the discovery process, where you can request all relevant information to your case.
At the outset, you need to know that you cannot fully trust any reports from the medical personnel on the cruise ship. In fact, they may assist the cruise line operator in protecting themselves from liability. You need to see your own doctor immediately once you have returned home to get medical evidence from an unbiased source.
If you suffered food poisoning on a more isolated basis (meaning that there was not an outbreak on the ship), it may be more difficult to win your lawsuit. The cruise line may argue that you were either already sick, or that your illness resulted from your own particular sensitivities. You stand a better chance of winning your case if there were a large number of passengers sickened on this particular voyage. Then, you may be able to point to negligence on the part of the cruise operator that was responsible for the outbreak.
Contact a California Cruise Ship Injury Law Firm Today
Get legal help now by speaking with a California cruise ship injury attorney at the Law Offices of Preston Easley, APC. You can take the first step towards controlling your own legal Destiny by messaging us online or by calling us today at 310-773-5207.
Preston Easley is a graduate of the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD. He served five years of active duty as a Naval officer — three years as a deck officer on a fast frigate and two years as a patrol boat skipper. Mr. Easley also served aboard a tank landing ship in the reserves. Learn more here.
