COVID-19 - The Class Action Blog by Carr Maloney PC

Nursing Homes Facing Potential Wave of COVID-19 Class Action Lawsuits

As the COVID-19 crisis continues to grip communities across the United States, the virus has had a particularly tragic impact on the elderly. Significantly more Americans over the age of 65 have died of COVID-19 than those in any other age group. Nursing homes, as a result, have become ground zero for the spread of, and the fight against, the virus. Both nursing home residents and employees are likely to continue to bear the brunt of this crisis as the virus continues to spread to communities around the country.

Recently, the first wave in a likely mushroom […]

By Matthew D. Berkowitz and Brian O’Shea|2020-05-21T11:49:52-04:00May 21st, 2020|Practice Areas: Class Action|Topics: COVID-19, Nursing Homes|

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Ahead of the Class: Students Taking on Colleges’ Response to COVID-19

In the wake of the COVID-19 epidemic, major industries everywhere are attempting to adjust to the challenges in these unprecedented times. The higher education system in the United States is no exception. While many colleges and universities moved to an online learning model for at least the rest of the semester, many students have made it clear that they do not believe that they have gotten what they bargained for. Unsurprisingly, a steady stream of students and parents have already begun to file class action lawsuits.

These lawsuits address several different categories of fees that schools already […]

By Corey Zoldan|2020-04-29T15:37:25-04:00April 29th, 2020|Practice Areas: Class Action|Topics: Class Certification, COVID-19, University Mandatory Fees|

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The Coronavirus and Employee Benefits: Another Opportunity For Class Action Litigation

With the Coronavirus outbreak not letting up, businesses of all sizes face new regulations as federal and state legislation has evolved to provide employees with additional benefits and protections.

On March 18, 2020, President Trump signed the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) into law. The legislation requires certain employers to provide employees with paid sick leave or expanded family and medical leave for specified reasons related to COVID-19. And, the FFCRA requires companies with less than 500 employees to provide up to 80 hours of sick leave pay to certain eligible employees.

Additionally, states passed similar bills providing paid employee […]

By Matthew D. Berkowitz and Maxwell Bernas|2020-04-28T12:35:15-04:00April 28th, 2020|Practice Areas: Class Action, Labor & Employment|Topics: COVID-19, FFCRA|

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COVID-19 Brings New Demands to Essential Retailers and Grocers to Avoid Potential Class Action Lawsuits

Recently, District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser issued an executive order requiring all customers entering Washington DC grocery stores, foodbanks, and convenience stores to wear masks or protective face coverings when entering. The legislation, aimed at stopping the spread of Coronavirus also requires grocery store limit the amount of people within a store and provide additional self-checkout lanes.

Similarly, many Washington DC area grocery stores have taken additional measures to protect their employees during the coronavirus, including installing glass partitions at check-out counters, increasing the availability of self check-out lanes and permitting employees to wear personal protective […]

By Matthew D. Berkowitz and Maxwell Bernas|2020-04-15T11:16:00-04:00April 15th, 2020|Practice Areas: Class Action, Labor & Employment|Topics: COVID-19, Workers' Compensation|

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Essential Businesses Face Potential Class Action Exposure From Employees Over Coronavirus Crisis

Due to the ongoing coronavirus crisis, state and local governments across the country have ordered almost all businesses to close. Tens of millions of employees in all fifty states have had to adapt to a new reality of working from home. But this new reality is not the reality for every business. Many “essential” businesses, including certain manufacturers and retailers, providers of emergency services, grocery stores, and sanitation companies, have continued their operations during the crisis. Their employees are expected to report to work.

Just because a business qualifies as “essential,” however, does not mean that business […]

By Matthew D. Berkowitz and Brian O’Shea|2020-04-09T09:42:32-04:00April 2nd, 2020|Practice Areas: Class Action|Topics: COVID-19, Exposure, Liability|

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Plaintiffs Quickly Filing Class Actions Over COVID-19

As we all know, the world has been dominated by COVID-19 for the last several weeks and tens of thousands of people have already been infected with the virus in the United States. We have seen drastic changes in the economy and our daily lives. We have also seen the first wave of class action lawsuits filed against businesses in connection with COVID-19. Plaintiffs are alleging that businesses misrepresented their products and services with respect to protecting individuals from illness and that businesses negligently exposed individuals to COVID-19. The following are just a few of such […]

By Matthew D. Berkowitz and Brian O’Shea|2020-04-09T09:44:35-04:00March 26th, 2020|Practice Areas: Class Action|Topics: COVID-19, Misleading claims|

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