Major cruise lines could keep from paying anything substantial to the families of passengers who died of the coronavirus while onboard thanks to a century-old maritime law, Bloomberg Law reports.
A federal judge in Los Angeles on Monday ruled in a wrongful death lawsuit against Princess Cruises, which is owned by Carnival Cruise Lines, by the family of a 71-year-old man who died after allegedly contracting the coronavirus on a cruise. The judge ruled that the only way the case could proceed was under federal law, which could limit the amount of money they can seek due to the Death on the High Seas Act that was enacted in 1920.
The Death on the High Seas Act places a limit on the amount that can be paid for survivors to “pecuniary” damages, which would be how much the deceased made in wages or contributed to housework. One maritime lawyer said that because many cruise passengers are retirees, the payout for their deaths might be only a little more than the cost of burial.
“Basically, the question to the widow is, ‘What did it cost you to lose your husband? If it didn’t cost you anything, we don’t owe you a nickel,’” said Charles Naylor, an attorney specializing in maritime injury and death.
“Princess Cruises has been sensitive to the difficulties the COVID-19 outbreak has caused to our guests and crew,” Princess Cruise Lines spokesperson Negin Kamali said in an email. “Our response throughout this process has focused on the well-being of our guests and crew within the parameters dictated to us by the government agencies involved and the evolving medical understanding of this new illness.”
Theodore Bunker ✉
Theodore Bunker, a Newsmax writer, has more than a decade covering news, media, and politics.
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