Lurking in the background of the Coronavirus pandemic is an army of tort lawyers searching for clients to earn billions in easy money virus lawsuits.
In our haste to reopen America, many are forgetting that each government agency, business, worship center, or private individual that knowingly creates a health risk that results in a loss to a citizen, is going to be the target of a lawsuit by this time next year.
Tort lawyers make their living by filing suits on behalf of clients who have experienced a loss. The lawyer gets about thirty percent of any claim. If a lawyer can get a large number of clients all accusing the same agency, the lawyer will earn more money easily because big companies will often settle.
Tort lawyers are not looking for nickel and dime cases, they are looking for targets with “deep pockets,” meaning they are able to pay big bucks.
A church is not nickel and dime, but it could mean easy money for tort lawyers.
Here’s what happens: A church opens up during the pandemic but fails to disinfect its pews, doorknobs, bathrooms, microphones, offering plates after every use. Those who worship are allowed to attend without wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) Its choir or praise team members do not stand six feet apart in all directions and its members mingle in parking lots, closer than six feet without PPE.
Tort lawyers will be looking for the relatives of anyone who died of COVID who attended that church worship. They will be looking for clients who were even hospitalized or experienced any kind of loss as a result of unsafe conditions. Since most churches carry $1 million or more in liability insurance, he church’s insurer will be sued, and a settlement will be reached quickly and tort lawyers will make easy money, without one day in court.
A restaurant opens during the Pandemic faces the same issues. Are the tabletops disinfected after each use? Are menus that may have been touched by customers disinfected or discarded after every use? What about public toilets, door handles, and doorknobs? The Tort lawyers will scan for clients, especially franchises of major chains because they have deep pockets.
The city and parish school systems have “deep pockets” because they have large insurance policies. The tort lawyers will be looking for a client whose child sat in a classroom that ignored social distancing, participated in a sport or social activity without PPE. They will seek out teachers and staff who became infected because school restroom facilities, lounges, and other areas were not disinfected after every use.
citizen decides to sponsor a giant birthday party in his front yard. Friends and visitors are allowed to attend without PPE. If any of the friends fall victim to COVID after attending an event that disrespected social distancing rules, those friends will become enemies after tort lawyers show them that homeowners’ insurance could pay quickly to settle a COVID loss claim.
The same applies to city and parish governments as well.
In March, Congress passed the PREP ACT which provided limited immunity to companies that make drugs, masks, and PPEs. However, there is no immunity for everyone else.
Six months from now it is conceivable that ads will begin to appear on television looking for persons who experienced a loss or a family death because certain companies, governments, or churches exposed the public to unhealthy conditions that resulted in a loss. They will give you a number to call and the lawsuits will be filed.
Ask any lawyer and they will tell you, the probability of civil lawsuits for COVID-19 negligence is high.
The response: Every business, government, church, or agency should strictly follow social distancing rules..to the letter. It won’t stop the lawsuits, but it will reduce their liability as the tort lawyers gear up for the biggest paydays of their legal careers.
