by Spencer Aronfeld | May 12, 2020 | Coronavirus, Covid-19, Lawsuit, Personal Injury
The fallout from the coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis has hit our nation’s legal system. It has been reported that 917 federal and state lawsuits have been filed due to the pandemic on a number of legal grounds ranging from unsafe working conditions for frontline workers to individuals and businesses facing financial difficulties. And it appears this is just the beginning. Global and national disasters regularly bring on an onslaught of legal filings, as was the case following the 9/11 terrorist attacks. The number of deaths reported in the U.S. have surpassed the number of Americans killed during the Vietnam War. COVID-19 has led to more than 30 million unemployment filings, the highest since the Great Depression. One of the main categories of lawsuits being filed involve those being brought by frontline workers, such as nurses and doctors, who claim that their employers are not providing them with sufficient protective gear while working. Their lawsuits also allege that their employers are forcing them to work in unsafe work conditions, leading many of them to contract the disease from patients whose lives they are trying to save. Workplace safety issues are also a concern of those in the grocery and retail industry, as workers allege their employers are not providing them with safety gear, exposing them to the risk of contracting COVID-19. Other employment lawsuits have been filed under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act passed by Congress in March 2020. Under this act, employers were required to offer paid leave for child-care because many parents were forced to stay at home or figure out a way to work from home due...
by Spencer Aronfeld | Apr 8, 2020 | Personal Injury, Personal Injury News and Safety Resources
The coronavirus has affected Americans in more ways than one. During this challenging time, let us assure you that Aronfeld Trial Lawyers is here and stands ready to help you even with it being remotely. We have had some inquiries about how COVID-19 may affect Florida personal injury cases and we would like to share with you some important information regarding the same. Status of Legal Proceedings One major disruption of the COVID-19 outbreak has been the delay of certain legal proceedings. However, the federal courthouse is still open and accepting filings. Our firm has and continues to file personal injury cases against the major cruise lines, even as many of them try to get cases against them stayed. The cruise line industry and their legal teams are working hard to have the court allow them to not respond to filings against them. Under an administrative order issued by Chief Justice Bertila Soto of the Eleventh Judicial Circuit Court, only mission-critical or emergency hearings will be heard during this time. The initial period was set to expire on March 27 but has recently been extended through April 20, unless a remote appearance technology platform has been implemented before that time. At that point, non-emergency court proceedings will be able to be held remotely, although jury trials will likely still be suspended until the COVID-19 crisis lessens. While emergency hearings may be the only actual hearings being heard, the Florida Supreme Court has issued an order that most legal business can continue. Depositions can still be done electronically, and the oath to tell the truth can be issued to parties...
