COVID-19 Lawsuits Ravage Businesses

In The News | December 8, 2020

ATRA President Tiger Joyce writes about COVID-19 litigation and the need for liability protections, especially in states deemed “Judicial Hellholes.”

For those across the country who fear potential lawsuits in the wake of the pandemic, hope has re-emerged.

In the waning days of the 116th Congress, another stimulus package may be delivered in a much-needed holiday miracle. Included in the bipartisan bill are imperative COVID-19 liability protections for businesses, frontline workers and health care providers.

There are 6,449 COVID-19-related lawsuit filings to date, and they don’t seem to be slowing. Of those lawsuits, nearly 60% are in states deemed “Judicial Hellholes” by the American Tort Reform Foundation or on its “Watch List.”

The ATRF’s annual Judicial Hellholes report highlights places where the civil justice climates starkly contrast the rest of the nation, as evidenced by the high percentage of coronavirus-related lawsuits.

Some of the first lawsuits filed related to COVID-19 were against manufacturers of hand sanitizers, claiming the product was ineffective.

In the early days of the pandemic, many distilleries shifted their production to ramp up supply of hand sanitizer, which was desperately needed during that critical time. They weren’t alone. Businesses and workers across the country stepped up and stepped into roles they were unfamiliar with or produced products they typically did not manufacture — all to support virus relief.