Carnival cruise company compensates individuals for alleged Covid 'negligence'

Carnival, the world's largest cruise operator, has been ordered by an Australian judge to pay the medical expenses of a passenger who contracted Covid-19 while on board one of its ships. The judge ruled that Carnival had misled passengers about safety risks and should have cancelled the voyage before it departed. The Ruby Princess, which set sail in March 2020, became the source of 900 Covid cases and 28 deaths. This landmark ruling may pave the way for many others to seek damages. The lead claimant in the case, Susan Karpik, a retired nurse, was traveling with her husband on the cruise when they both fell ill with the virus. Her husband was hospitalized for two months, during which he was put into an induced coma and given days to live. The judge found that Carnival's Australian division was negligent and in breach of their duty of care, and awarded Susan Karpik compensation for her medical expenses. While this amount is less than what she had sued for, the ruling allows other passengers from the same voyage to make claims. The judge stated that Carnival should have known about the significant risk of an outbreak and cancelled the cruise. A previous voyage had already experienced an influenza-like illness outbreak, which increased the risk of the virus spreading. This ruling marks the first class action victory against a cruise ship worldwide. The number of claimants in the lawsuit may also increase if the High Court of Australia rules that 700 American passengers can be included. The Ruby Princess outbreak was the biggest source of Covid infections in Australia at the time, and a public inquiry found that health officials in the state of New South Wales had made serious mistakes. Carnival Australia has stated that it is reviewing the judgement carefully.