Norovirus Claims

The main symptom that distinguishes norovirus from other gastric illnesses is the sudden onset of projectile vomiting. This is usually followed by:

• Nausea
• Watery diarrhoea
• Abdominal pain.

These symptoms appear one to two days after you become infected and usually last up to three days. Some people also report developing a slight fever, headaches, and aching limbs.

In serious cases, a norovirus infection can lead to post-infective irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and changes in bowel habits. It can also cause lasting psychological damage, particularly for children who might associate travelling or eating out with their illness in the future.

Norovirus usually clears up on its own, but in the meantime, paracetamol can help with fevers, aches, and pains. There are also steps you should take to aid your recovery:

• If possible, stay at home (or in your room if you are on holiday)
• Stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water
• Stick to plain foods
• Get lots of rest.

If you have had these symptoms, you may be able to make a norovirus claim to compensate you for your illness.

Norovirus is carried in small particles of infected vomit or faeces. It can spread when hygiene procedures break down, leading to food or surfaces becoming contaminated and these particles being passed onto other people.

Businesses and organisations have a public duty to prevent contamination in the buildings and spaces for which they are responsible. This includes:

• Cleaning premises regularly and having procedures in place to monitor this
• Following hygiene regulations when preparing, cooking and serving food
• Making sure staff members or pupils with norovirus infections don’t return to work/school until 48 hours after their illness has passed
• Containing any suspected outbreak to prevent further infection (particularly in hospitals, cruise ships and nursing homes where people can’t be sent home)
• Closing premises, where necessary, for a deep clean to remove any contamination.

Because of the highly infectious nature of norovirus, these measures must be in place to prevent the spread of infection. Outbreaks are more likely to occur in places where many people are together, such as restaurants, hotels, cruise ships, schools, hospitals and nursing homes.

If you have contracted norovirus because an organisation hasn’t upheld its duty of care to you, our dedicated and experienced team can help you claim compensation.

When you first contact our team, we will arrange a free initial consultation where you can discuss your norovirus with one of our experts. Here, we will advise whether you can make a claim and discuss funding options with you.

We will start gathering evidence to build your claim and employ medical professionals to find out how your illness impacted your health and recommend the care you will need to recover. 

Our team will work out who’s responsible for your illness and get in touch with them at an early stage to see if they accept the blame for what happened. If they accept responsibility, we will try to secure some of your compensation up-front, which can fund private medical care and expenses while your claim is ongoing. These payments are known as interim payments and will be taken out of your final compensation award.

If they don’t accept responsibility, we may need to settle your claim in court, but we will always work to avoid this—some cases can still avoid court even after a court date has been set.