National Letter to Congress Urges Limited Liability Protections During Pandemic

With content provided by the PA Chamber of Business & Industry

The PA Chamber signed on to a U.S. Chamber-led letter last week with chambers of commerce from throughout the nation, urging Congress to pass timely, temporary and targeted liability relief legislation without delay.

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Pennsylvania healthcare professionals on the front lines of combating the virus, and critical businesses, including those producing much-needed personal protective equipment have been operating without liability protections in place. This unprecedented situation has left employers vulnerable to frivolous lawsuits, a trend which, if unchecked, could endanger economic recovery and the return to work for millions of Americans.

The coalition letter expressed that the pandemic has driven the need for Congress to provide a safe harbor – one that “truly holds bad actors accountable, but that protects those employers who are working to follow public health guidance.” Specifically, the letter asked that the protections cover:

• Businesses that work to follow government guidelines against COVID-19 exposure claims
• Healthcare providers and facilities on the front lines of the COVID-19 response
• Manufacturers that have repurposed production and distribution to provide PPE, sanitizers, and other needed countermeasures
• Companies that have donated their stock of supplies to hospitals and medical professionals
• Public companies that could face securities lawsuits, including those driven largely on stock price drops resulting from the global pandemic under the spurious assertion that management failed to warn investors.

The full letter is available here.