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As of the second week of May 2020, 917 federal and state lawsuits had been filed based on claims related to the Covid-19 pandemic. The flood of coronavirus related cases is unprecedented.

Which Workers Are Filing Covid-19 Related Lawsuits?

Nurses and Retail Workers: Employers are being sued for allegedly putting their employees in unsafe work environments during the pandemic.

College Students & Consumers: Students are insisting they receive tuition refunds, and consumers who pre-purchased concert tickets, memberships, and travel are demanding refunds.

Businesses: Some businesses claim insurance companies are attempting to sidestep coverage obligations.

Children of Undocumented Immigrants: Some people are insisting that they are being deprived of stimulus checks issued by the American government.

And that’s just a quick summary of all the Covid-19 related suits the courts are facing.

Major Catastrophes and Downturns Tend to Unleash a Torrent of Lawsuits:

History shows that major catastrophes or downturns tend to unleash a torrent of lawsuits. The Covid-19 pandemic is no exception. While the number of Covid-19 related lawsuits already filed seems high, experienced attorneys suggest that litigation related to the pandemic may easily continue to be filed for the next few years, and litigation will most likely continue for a decade. Although, predictions are just that…predictions. And these predictions are less stable than most since we are dealing with something completely unprecedented in scale, complication, and science.

Some of the Early Covid-19 Employment Law Cases:

Some of the earliest claims in connection to the Covid-19 pandemic were filed by nurses, which makes sense because nurses are on the frontline as the pandemic progresses. Many complaints filed by nurses are based on allegations that nursing staff was required to work without receiving the necessary protective gear to keep them safe. Some nurses are filing employment law claims after exposure to the coronavirus left them testing positive for Covid-19. Some are filing suit because after they tested positive for Covid-19, their supervisors did not make accommodations for their illness, provide them with the necessary equipment or re-assign them to appropriate alternate job duties or sites. Nurses in these situations may feel pressure to resign their position.

Employment Law Claims Related to the Covid-19 Pandemic:

Workplace Safety Claims
Discrimination Claims
Wrongful Termination Claims
Overtime Claims (Employees working from home may sue overworking too many hours)
Families First Coronavirus Response Act (Employees may sue when employers do not provide the required paid leave for childcare)
Unreimbursed Business Expenses for Telecommuters

If you need to talk about employment law violations during the pandemic or if you need to file a California employment law claim, we can help. Get in contact with Blumenthal Nordrehaug Bhowmik DeBlouw LLP. Experienced employment law attorneys are ready to assist you in any one of various law firm offices located in San Diego, San Francisco, Sacramento, Los Angeles, Riverside, and Chicago.