Wave of COVID-19 Lawsuits Hit State and Federal Courts

Sacramento, CA - Hundreds of lawsuits stemming from the coronavirus pandemic are rapidly amassing in state and federal courts, the first wave of litigation challenging decisions made early during the crisis by corporations, insurance companies and governments.

According to the report published by SFGATE, claims have been filed against hospitals and senior-living facilities, airlines and cruise lines, fitness chains and the entertainment industry - 771 as of Friday, according to a database compiled by Hunton Andrews Kurth, an international law firm tracking cases that emerge from the pandemic.

Complaints reach across industries and state lines. Some seek significant monetary damages. Others ask for a judge to correct actions alleged to be harmful or in violation of contractual agreements.

In New York more than 250 lawsuits have been filed - the most of anywhere in the nation by far. Among them, is a set of lawsuits brought by a nurse's union against the state and two hospitals. They say officials failed to appropriately protect hospital workers with sufficient personal protective equipment (PPE) and ensure a safe workspace for those at higher risk of contracting the illness.

A similar suit was brought by a union representing state employees in Alaska.

Families who've lost loved ones at a senior-living residence in Atlanta have accused the facility of failing to protect its residents, alleging it allowed events and group meals to continue even as family visits were curtailed.

Jodi Gill, a criminal justice professor at Penn State University, is the named plaintiff in a class-action suit brought against Pennsylvania's health department for what she says is its failure to properly monitor the state's nursing homes, including the facility - Brighton Rehabilitation and Wellness Center in Beaver, Pennsylvania - where her 81-year-old father lives. Nursing homes there have recorded 60 deaths due to the virus, according to state data.

A devout man in Washington state, home to the country's first confirmed case of the novel coronavirus, sued its governor for setting policies that prohibit the small weekly Bible study he hosts at his home.

Other claims focus on voting rights and the potential expansion of absentee balloting. As it gets closer to the November general election, there are likely to be new petitions seeking judicial intervention, citing quandaries and concerns over access to the polls.

In California, customers have gone after a yoga studio and a massage parlor. A ski resort chain based in Denver also has been sued in the Golden State.

A number of class actions have been filed, including against Ticketmaster for its handling of canceled live events. One suit alleges the box office behemoth, and its parent company Live Nation, "sought to force their customers to bear the brunt of their own shortsightedness," according to the complaint filed in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.

Disrupted travel accounts for several claims. The nation's major airlines - now on life support, dependent on billions in government relief funds - have been sued over policies preventing customers from obtaining cash refunds for travel that never transpired because of the pandemic.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., has indicated he intends to address protections for businesses when the Senate reconvenes next week. "Our response," McConnell said, "must not be slowed, weakened, or exploited to set up the biggest trial lawyer bonanza in history."

Source: WorkCompAcademy.com

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