Monthly Archives: <span>June 2020</span>

U.S. Court Vacates Qualified Immunity in Excessive Force Case of 5 Police Officers

A federal appeals court has vacated part of a finding that cleared five West Virginia police officers on qualified immunity grounds in an excessive force lawsuit, which was filed by the estate of a homeless black man shot 22 times. …

Health Workers Dealing with Shock of Virus Fight, Uneasiness in Current Quiet

Outside a back door to a hospital where the coronavirus hit like a hurricane, a half-dozen staffers gathered recently to look back, and look inward. “I am still scared,” Dr. Gwen Hooley told her colleagues at Elmhurst Hospital, which was …

Liability Waivers Don’t Always Stop Lawsuits But Employers Hope for Best

As businesses reopen across the U.S. after coronavirus shutdowns, many are requiring customers and workers to sign forms saying they won’t sue if they catch COVID-19. Businesses fear they could be the target of litigation even if they adhere to …

Investors’ Suit Alleges Firm Inflated Stock with Misleading Claims About Its Covid Test

An investor lawsuit against a Utah company alleges its principals falsely claimed its coronavirus diagnostic test was “100% accurate” and before doubts about the claim became widely reported, directors and officers of the company were selling off their own stock …

California Workers’ Comp Premium Continued to Fall Last Year

California workers’ compensation total direct written premium continued to decline in 2019, falling 7.0% to a five-year low of $11.42 billion, as nine out of the state’s 10 largest insurer groups wrote less premium in 2019 than in 2018, a …

Some Florida Bars, Restaurants Temporarily Close as Virus Cases Rise

Some Florida bars and restaurants are temporarily closing their doors after being back open for just a few weeks because workers or patrons have tested positive for the new coronavirus. The closures come as the number of new daily coronavirus …

Texas Man Sentenced to 78 Years in Prison for Arson, Insurance Fraud

A 52-year-old Groves, Texas, man has been sentenced to 78 years in federal prison for violations related to an arson and insurance fraud scheme, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Texas. U.S. Attorney Stephen J. …

Health Experts Caution Over Coronavirus Disinfectants Used in Reopening

Businesses across the U.S. have begun intensive Covid-19 disinfection regimens, exposing returning workers and consumers to some chemicals that are largely untested for human health, a development that’s alarming health and environmental safety experts. The rush to disinfect is well-intentioned. …

Rising Claims, Feared Covid-19 Surge, Push Firms to Seek D&O Insurance Alternatives

When Elon Musk said in April he was dropping the insurance policy that protects Tesla Inc.’s board from shareholder lawsuits, it got Skip McBride’s attention. To McBride, who used to manage law firm Bracewell LLP’s malpractice exposure, Musk’s decision to …

Louisiana Governor Edwards Vetoes Business-Backed Auto Insurance Tort Reform Bill

Gov. John Bel Edwards on June 12 vetoed eight bills passed by Louisiana lawmakers in their recently ended regular session, including the business lobby’s top priority, a measure to scale back damage claims against insurance companies in car accident lawsuits. …