Businesses that frequently interact with customers and clients in person, such as restaurants, gyms and nail salons have been put on notice – follow local COVID-19 government orders or pay the price! Nusr-Et Boston, a new restaurant recently opened by social media...
Covid-19
Business Interruption MDL Created for One Insurer, Denied for Others
Efforts by some policyholders to consolidate ongoing insurance coverage lawsuits against four insurers into a business interruption MDL were upended this week when the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation denied their requests to consolidate cases, but...
MA to Provide Small Business Grants to COVID-19 Distressed Businesses
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts has made $50.8M in grants available for small businesses, businesses that employed more than 1.5M workers, accounting for more than 45% of the total workforce in Massachusetts. These funds were appropriated in the Governor’s...
First Look: Business Liability Protection in Senate Republican’s COVID-19 Relief Bill
On Monday, Senate Republicans unveiled legislation, the “HEALS Act,” to provide additional coronavirus relief aid as a follow up to the CARES Act passed in March. Unsurprisingly, the “L” stands for Liability Protection, something that GOP leaders have been pushing for...
Business Interruption MDL Declined By Federal Court…For Now
In an order issued on August 12th, the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation declined the requests from two groups of policyholders to consolidate business interruption insurance coverage disputes arising from the COVID-19 pandemic. In declining to consolidate,...
Eviction Moratorium Extensions Nationwide
In our last report, we discussed the expected wave of eviction proceedings as a result of the pandemic, as nearly 40 million Americans are struggling to pay their rent and housing expenses. Since then, the Trump administration, operating through the Centers for...
One-Two Punch: Businesses Must Fight the Virus and Possible Liability Claims
After several weeks in lockdown and thousands of business closures in an attempt to control the spread of the novel coronavirus, businesses are finally reopening their doors. Given the high transmission of COVID-19, businesses should consider their risks of legal...
WAVE OF EVICTION SUITS NEARING OVERBURDENED HOUSING COURTS
As COVID-19 continues to severely impact the nation’s economy, with unemployment numbers significantly increasing, and industries reeling, tenants and homeowners are feeling the squeeze. In Massachusetts, 654,000 residents either missed their July rent or mortgage...
COVID Waiver Not Waving Goodbye To Lawsuits
During the COVID-19 pandemic, businesses are moving towards a “new normal” in dealing with customers. We’ve all had experiences like this: When you walk into a business, you are greeted by a masked employee. You are asked to sanitize your hands. Signs are posted...
Issues Moving Forward with Complex Jury Trials During the Pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic has created significant issues for court systems across the country wishing to move forward with civil jury trials, namely the control of jurors. In this article, we seek to address some of the issues that courts are facing in trying to move...