Businesses Fear Consequences Of Possible Lawsuits Amid Coronavirus Pandemic

As Congress continues to debate a phase four COVID package that is set to include timely, targeted, and temporary liability protections, businesses face the possibility of COVID-related lawsuits. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Chief Policy Officer, Neil Bradley, was recently interviewed as part of a Fox News special report on legal concerns over reopening the economy. “The threats are pretty extreme, and we do expect the number of lawsuits to increase as time goes on,” Bradley explained.

“Any time there’s uncertainty in business, there’s an element of fear that’s naturally introduced. It doesn’t matter who’s wrong or right,” Joe Shamess, the owner of Flags of Valor, said about the possibility of lawsuits. “The cost of going through it can destroy a company.”

According to a recent study by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, two-thirds of small businesses with between 20 and 500 employees are worried about COVID-related lawsuits. The law firm Hunton Andrews Kurth surveyed the current legal environment and counted 4,280 COVID-related complaints. A poll conducted by the U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform found that the majority of the American public believes employers must have liability protections from COVID-19 related lawsuits as post-pandemic plans are realized.