Norovirus Infection
Compensation Claims

What to consider when making a norovirus claim

• Employers owe a duty of care to protect their staff from avoidable harm, including the risk of exposure to infectious disease.
• Strict health and safety regulations apply to hygiene in the workplace, and particularly food preparation and storage.
• Owners and operators of hotels, restaurants, cruise ships and other public facilities must also protect guests and staff from hazards including norovirus, and must take appropriate action when an outbreak occurs.
• You can claim if your illness was caused by the negligence of someone who owed you a legal duty of care.
• Compensation can range from £1,000 for short-lived symptoms to over £50,000 for digestive issues that require hospitalisation and lead to permanent symptoms.
• You're entitled to make a claim within 3 years from the date you discovered the cause of your illness, but you should consider starting your claim as soon as possible to make it easier to gather evidence or poor hygiene practices.
• Your compensation amount will be influenced by the severity of your norovirus infection, any health complications you have suffered, and the impact on your life and ability to work. Discover how much you could claim with our compensation calculator.
• You can claim on a no win, no fee basis.

If you were exposed to norovirus infection, we can help you claim compensation

Norovirus, also known as the 'winter vomiting bug', is characterised by severe gastroenteritis symptoms like sudden vomiting diarrhoea, and stomach cramps. Norovirus spreads quickly in environments like restaurants, hotels, cruise ships, or care homes, often due to poor hygiene practices or inadequate cleaning.

If you've contracted Norovirus due to someone else’s negligence, such as improper food handling, unclean facilities, or failure to contain an outbreak, you can claim compensation for your illness and the disruption it caused to your life.

If your life, or the life of a loved one, has been affected by norovirus, we can help. You can make a No Win, No Fee compensation claim with the help and support of a personal injury solicitor.

Illness from norovirus is increasingly common, you are not alone

Highly infectious, particularly amongst large groups in confined spaces, norovirus is estimated to affect up to 1 million people in the UK each year. Also known as the 'winter vomiting disease', outbreaks are common in hotels, hospitals, nursing homes, schools and, notably, on cruise ships.

Surveillance data shows a sharp increase in reports of confirmed cases of norovirus (gov.uk).

If you were infected and made ill by the actions or negligence of a third party, such as a hotel or restaurant operator, a caterer or employer, you may be able to claim compensation.

If you decide to make a norovirus claim, your personal injury solicitor will take you through every step of the claims process. Your solicitor will be with you until you win your claim and get the compensation you need to move forward.

If you are looking for information on norovirus symptoms and treatment, visit: norovirus (nhs.uk).

How much compensation can I claim for norovirus?

The level of compensation you can claim for norovirus will depend on:

• the degree of your illness,
• the effect your illness has on your daily routine and work life,
• the financial costs and losses you have experienced due to your illness.

General damages are awarded for pain, suffering and loss of amenity (PSLA). Awards for general damages are set by the Judicial College (judiciary.uk) and published in their guidelines for personal injury awards.

Special damages is compensation for quantifiable financial losses you've incurred as a result of your norovirus Compensation can include loss of wages, commission and any other income income, and any additional expenses directly related to your injury.

These damages will also cover any medical or treatment bills, such as rehydration, anti-diarrheal medication, monitoring and dietary changes.

Read more:

A complete list of recoverable losses in a personal injury claim

How is compensation calculated if I have multiple injuries?

Average norovirus general damages compensation table

The following norovirus payouts refer to the Guidelines for the Assessment of General Damages in Personal Injury Cases, 17th Edition by the Judicial College (oup.com).

These tables are used by solicitors or by the courts as a starting point when calculating your compensation.

Please note: these average figures represent general damages only, and do not include any element of special damages (e.g. lost wages).

Digestive problems

Can I claim for PTSD or other psychological trauma?

Psychiatric harm is less obvious than physical injury, but the consequences can be just as difficult to deal with.

According to our 2025 Personal Injury Claimant Survey shows that 29.03% of potential claimants sustained a psychological injury, 70.97% of which related to a physical injury.

Norovirus infection can lead to heightened anxiety about hygiene, contamination, and emetophobia (fear of vomiting). In severe cases, this can lead to social isolation and dietary issues.

Your solicitor will help ensure that any psychological harm you have suffered as the result of another party's negligence is recognised and included in the calculation of your compensation award or settlement. In addition, you can also claim for mental health treatment costs that may not be readily available on the NHS.

Our compensation calculator can estimate your compensation for psychological injuries. Or you can call us on 0800 376 1001 to speak to a specialist advisor.

Do I have a norovirus claim?

You can claim compensation for norovirus, if:

• you were made ill within the last 3 years, and;
• another person was to blame, and;
• that person owed you a legal duty of care.

Find out online if you can claim with our injury claim calculator. Alternatively, you can speak to a claims advisor on 0800 376 1001 and find out if you have a claim in minutes.

What if I was partially at fault?

Personal injury claims where both the defendant and claimant share some responsibility are relatively common.

In our recent 2025 Personal Injury Claimant Survey, 13.99% of respondents thought they could be partially to blame for their accident.

Even if you were partly at fault, you could still be able to claim compensation. 'Split liability' or 'contributory negligence' are terms used to describe these cases.

Read more:

Can I claim if I feel I was partly responsible for my accident?

How long do I have to claim norovirus compensation?

In most cases, you have 3 years from the date of your accident or injury.

If you were not immediately aware that you were harmed by someone else's negligence, the 3-year time limit runs from the date you were diagnosed and became aware of what caused your injury or illness.

If you were injured when you were under 18, a parent, guardian or adult 'litigation friend' can make a claim on your behalf. Once you turn 18, you have until your 21st birthday to start an injury claim.

How is norovirus contracted?

Norovirus is easily spread. It can be passed on by poor hand hygiene or by eating infected food. In addition, the virus can be caught by touching surfaces or objects - like towels or flannels - days after they were contaminated. All of these things make semi-enclosed spaces more susceptible.

Once contracted, norovirus can incubate for 12 to 48 hours before symptoms appear. As well as vomiting and diarrhoea, other recognised symptoms include:

• A raised temperature over 38 degrees
• Headaches
• Aching limbs
• Painful stomach cramps

Although the virus is unpleasant, it usually runs its course in a few days and is not normally dangerous. However there is a risk of dehydration, which can lead to further symptoms such as dizziness, decreased urine levels and low blood pressure.

Who can I claim against?

As it is the most common stomach bug (gastroenteritis) in the UK, contracting norovirus in itself does not automatically lead to a claim. In order to pursue compensation, the virus must have been contracted in a situation where responsibility for health and safety lies with someone other than the individual.

In public spaces, such as cruise ships, hotels, hospitals or schools, the owners/managers have a legal 'duty of care' towards their clients, patients or pupils. So, if an individual, or group of individuals, fall sick, the owner/managers health and safety policies will be scrutinised to ensure they did everything reasonably practical to prevent an outbreak occurring.

See also:

Gastroenteritis compensation claims

How do I prove who caused my norovirus infection?

As the causes of norovirus are commonly known, as well as the spaces likely to be infected, those in charge of such spaces are expected to be aware of the risks and are legally obligated to control them. For example, a hospital should have strict and documented cleaning and hand washing procedures in place to ensure the virus is not spread.

Cruise ship liability cases

When people think norovirus they often think cruise ships. This is due to the high incidence of cases occurring and being reported. If a person contracted norovirus whilst on board, it must be demonstrated not only that the cruise ship was negligent, but also that contracting the virus was a result of this.

Although most major cruise lines will have health and safety measures in place, it does not always mean that they have done enough, or that they were carried out effectively.

For example, they may have hand sanitisers in the restaurants, but they may not be adequately enforcing use of them. Alternatively, they may not be successfully quarantining staff or passengers who may have come into contact the virus but are, as yet, symptomless.

The fact that norovirus is not often an isolated case in such situations will help a solicitor demonstrate that negligence was indeed the cause. Another example of evidence could be witness statements that public announcements were not made when the outbreak first occurred.

Whether a claim is being made against a cruise line, or a hotel or another public space such as a restaurant, the process of proving negligence will be similar.

What factors affect the norovirus claims process?

The claims process is influenced by how your norovirus occurred. Click the icons below to find out more.

Public places Work accidents Other accidents

Sources

Author:
Gaynor Haliday, Legal researcher

About the author

Gaynor Haliday is an experienced legal researcher and published author. She has had numerous articles published in the press and is a legal industry commentator.