Guest Editor: Grace Shuman
June 7, 2022 9:44am
Last year, we reported a California federal district court dismissed a lawsuit filed by the wife of a construction worker who claimed her husband contracted COVID-19 at work and brought the virus home, infecting her as well…
Guest Editor: Grace Shuman
April 29, 2022 9:00am
As the world adjusts after COVID-19 and trials get underway, the Arizona Supreme Court continues to roll back limitations, restrictions, and suspensions put into place during the pandemic…
Guest Editor: Grace Shuman
March 2, 2022 3:59pm
COVID-19 lockdowns have hit New York Broadway productions and distribution companies particularly hard. Loss of jobs, complete shutdowns, and an inability to conduct business safely has hindered organizations’ business.
Guest Editor: Grace Shuman
February 7, 2022 11:35am
In Giles v. Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc., Case No. 3:20-cv-02131 the United States District Court for the Southern District of California entered an “Order Dismissing Complaint,” dismissing a plaintiff’s lawsuit alleging violations of Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act and Unruh Act.
Guest Editor: Grace Shuman
January 13, 2022 8:40am
The past two years have dramatically changed the legal practice, and some of those changes may be here to stay. At the beginning of the pandemic, many courts closed completely. Now, court rules are in flux. Bench trials have been remote; jury trials have been hybrid; and court appearances have been conducted remotely via teleconference and video conference. While some of these changes are temporary adaptations, some are likely permanent. Attorneys should expect continued hearing and jury disruptions.
Guest Editor: Grace Shuman
January 13, 2022 8:40am
December 27, 2021 brought a shift in vaccination requirements for New Yorkers. Businesses and employees should be aware of their new obligations. More employees are now required to be vaccinated. Employees in eligible positions must take specific steps, and businesses are required to demonstrate their employees have taken such steps. Businesses who do business with independent contractors should also be aware of special requirements.
Guest Editor: Grace Shuman
October 29, 2021 9:00am
During the pandemic, many businesses felt the impact of government regulations. With regulations like curfews, mask mandates, and changing capacity limits, businesses have experienced upheaval throughout the pandemic. Legal ramifications for such situations are still evolving. In New Jersey, one restaurant argued that business revenue lost due to a takeout/delivery-only requirement was covered by its insurance policy.
Guest Editor: Grace Shuman
October 29, 2021 9:00am
In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, restauranteurs are facing a litany of issues. With changing governmental restrictions, restaurants have had to adapt more than most businesses. Some restauranteurs have taken to the courts to try and recoup losses. In a recent Colorado case, the court examined loss coverage stemming from the pandemic.
Guest Editor: Kiran Gupta
October 4, 2021 5:32pm
A Florida jury awarded $48,257,922 to a tenant who lived in an apartment with “toxic” mold for approximately one and a half years. This verdict included $35 million for past and future pain and suffering and $10 million for future medical costs! While the defendants were not represented at trial, the award is a shot across the bow at what Nuclear Verdicts™ may look like post-pandemic.
Guest Editor: Kiran Gupta
October 4, 2021 4:16pm
COVID-19 has made mask policies both controversial and ubiquitous. As mandatory store polices and statewide polices become universal, more lawsuits challenging mask requirements pursuant to the Americans with Disabilities Act are filed. Do mask policies violate the Americans with Disabilities Act?
Guest Editor: Grace Shuman
September 13, 2021 2:33pm
On August 27th, the New York State Bar Association’s Emergency Task Force on Mandatory Vaccination and Safeguarding the Public’s Health (“Task Force”) released a report detailing its discussions on the COVID-19 vaccine. Among its many recommendations, the Task Force urged lawyers, employers, and their employees to get vaccinated, as well as teachers, students (when approved for their age group), and university students, faculty, and staff. In addition, the Task Force recommended vaccine access be provided in correctional facilities and in immigration detention facilities.
Guest Editor: Kiran Gupta
September 7, 2021 9:00am
This article will discuss the origins of the PREP Act and its use as a tool to provide immunity from civil prosecution to senior living facilities from actions arising out of the COVID-19 pandemic. We will briefly review the history of the PREP Act, address its use to protect senior living facilities from prosecution during the pandemic, and address the limits of immunity and the next battlegrounds in litigation.
Guest Editor: Kiran Gupta
June 4, 2021 9:00am
In our April Newsletter, Tyson & Mendes reported a California federal court dismissed a lawsuit filed by the wife of a construction worker. Plaintiff claimed her husband contracted COVID-19 at work and brought the virus home infecting her as well. Following the dismissal, the district court judge gave plaintiff an opportunity to amend her complaint. At a hearing on May 7, 2021, the court upheld the dismissal without further leave to amend. As of this date, it is unknown whether plaintiff will appeal.
Guest Editor: Kiran Gupta
April 2, 2021 9:00am
California recently passed the one-year anniversary of the COVID-19 stay at home order. The COVID-19 pandemic has affected lives in different ways. Employees who regularly worked in an office now work from home. Restaurant chains open for years have shut their doors for good as they could no longer turn a profit. COVID-19 has also affected litigation. It was unclear what types of suits would result from the pandemic. However, a year into this unforeseen global epidemic, we now have a better idea of the types of lawsuits which will be filed. This article explores recent news involving COVID-19 litigation throughout the United States in an effort to achieve a better understanding of how litigation has changed.
Guest Editor: Kiran Gupta
April 2, 2021 9:00am
While the streaming of recorded music remains healthy, live music venues, musicians, and those who support them have been hard hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. Restaurants may survive by offering food to go and in some instances outdoor seating, but a concert cannot be packaged to take home, and it is not practical to perform outdoors for small groups, even when weather and noise are not concerns. Following are summaries of two recent music industry decisions, one a win for an insurer and one a win for a concertgoer. A third ongoing case involving a dispute with an insurer over a cancelled music tour is also discussed.
Guest Editor: Kiran Gupta
April 1, 2021 9:00am
A California federal court has dismissed a lawsuit filed by the wife of a construction worker who claimed her husband contracted COVID-19 at work and brought the virus home infecting her as well. The court held workers’ compensation exclusivity barred the wife’s claim.
March 8, 2021 8:00am
Last December, the U.S. rolled out its first vaccines against COVID-19, marking a turning point in the pandemic. Many employers wondered whether they could or should require employees to vaccinate. Another question is whether this requirement would violate ADA and religious mandate regulations.
March 1, 2021 12:48pm
March 2021 marks the year anniversary that jury trials seemingly ceased to exist as we once knew them – that is, before COVID-19 abruptly shifted the courtroom. In the past year, jury trials have been ridden with unpredictability. One can rarely read a legal document these days without at least some mention of COVID-19 and its impact on the overall timeline of a matter. Are jury trials really a distant memory while still navigating midst of the COVID-19 era, or will innovation and the embrace of a new normal propel us forward?
Millionacres – January 19, 2021
Rob Olson is senior counsel in San Diego with Tyson & Mendes, a litigation firm that specializes in insurance defense. He said:
“The first question in evaluating a lawsuit over COVID exposure: Where did the plaintiff allege they were exposed? If it was at work, in a tenant’s office space, then it is outside the property owners’ control. But if the plaintiff alleges that they were exposed in a common area, then the property owner may not easily get out of the lawsuit.”
January 11, 2021 9:00am
According to Law360, there are over 1,400 federal lawsuits fighting denials by insurance carriers for COVID-19 business loss coverage and over 600 such suits in state court. In last month’s Newsletter, we reported the dismissal of the complaint of two Fresno hotels claiming business losses based on the virus exclusion in their respective insurance policies continuing the trend of California courts. (West Coast Hotel Management, LLC…
January 11, 2021 9:00am
Courthouses and court staff are continuously finding creative solutions to provide services while maintaining compliance with public health orders.
Guest Editor: Jeremy Freedman
November 30, 2020 3:41pm
The Central District Court of California has dismissed the Complaint of two Fresno hotels claiming business losses to COVID-19. Following the trend of other California courts, the Central District Court found the Complaint failed to specifically allege facts supporting a claim for Business Income and Civil Authority coverage under the applicable Insurance Policy. Accordingly, the Court held the hotels’ COVID-19 related business losses were excluded from coverage under the Policy’s Virus Exclusion.
Guest Editor: Nathan Berkeley
November 30, 2020 3:26pm
During an extended period of COVID-19-related changes to the way businesses operate, and considering the uncertainty of what the situation may be in the coming months, the potential significance of a recent Illinois Supreme Court’s opinion on the issue of whether a home office is sufficient for purposes of establishing venue cannot be overemphasized. Even though the facts of Tabirta v. Cummings, 2020 IL 124798, originated well before COVID-19 surfaced to influence many parts of everyday life, its issuance during the pandemic serves to provide guidance for business owners and defense counsel alike moving forward, especially when so many employees are working from home.
Guest Editor: David Kahn
October 5, 2020 1:46pm
Soon after States began imposing quarantine restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it became readily apparent many businesses would be severely and negatively impacted, perhaps permanently. Certainly, for home improvement and home gardening retailers, both online and brick-and-mortar, 2020 has been a lucrative year. However, other businesses, such as gyms, salons, restaurants, and bars, which rely primarily on patrons visiting their locations in person, have seen catastrophic consequences due to the pandemic. The federal government recognized the devastating effects pandemic-related restrictions would…
Guest Editor: David Kahn
September 1, 2020 8:30am
With the current health pandemic lingering on longer than most people expected, courts have been struggling to find ways to get cases moving forward in light of extended court closures and the inability to assemble jurors. On August 11, 2020, a court in the Fourth Circuit for Duval County held a one day damages trial involving a plaintiff dancer and a bar owner. Jurors were summonsed in the normal fashion, but given instructions for Zoom appearances. Jury selection occurred all via the Zoom platform. While admittedly not ideal for longer, more complicated…