The current Puget Sound Business Journal carries an opinion piece by Mark Johnson, WR’s Senior VP of Policy & Government Affairs, that urges Congressional approval to provide some protection for retailers and other businesses from possible COVID-19 lawsuits if they follow the required safety guidance.
Retailers currently have no legal protection if a customer alleges they were infected while shopping in a store.
In the piece, Johnson writes that Congressional funding for retailers, hospitals, schools and universities will have been wasted if they are intimidated from offering in-person services due to fear of being sued. Such protections would only be extended to responsible institutions that have demonstrated that they follow reasonable safety precautions.
Johnson writes that businesses need federal legislation to reduce the uncertainty and risk of remaining open while the pandemic lingers through 2021. PSBJ subscribers can read the entire piece here.