When businesses forced workers to work in asbestos-contaminated workplaces in the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s a new niche of asbestos-related legal services grew in America. Today, a similar situation is unfolding with workplace COVID-19 infections. Some defendants are now claiming that they were forced back to work and exposed to COVID-19. In some of those cases, the workers spread the infection unknowingly to their families. Some of those family members have died from the virus.
According to CBS, The daughter of Esperanza Ugalde of Illinois filed in August what lawyers believe is the first wrongful death “take home” lawsuit, alleging her mother died of Covid-19 that her father contracted at Aurora Packing Co’s meat processing plant.
One law firm has created a new division to handle COVID-19 wrongful death lawsuits
“Crowell & Moring has a multidisciplinary working group helping clients navigate the rapidly evolving business, legal and operational issues associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. Our group brings together lawyers and professionals with relevant senior government, industry, and private sector experience across a wide array of practices that intersect with the most critical issues in this unprecedented crisis. We are helping clients to mitigate risk, to implement practical approaches and sound business solutions, and anticipate and prepare for the opportunities and challenges that are on the horizon,” the law firm says of its new offerings.
Not only does the firm represent victims, but Crowell & Moring also offer legal advice to businesses as they reopen from the COVID-19 lockdowns to avoid the legal pitfalls other businesses are facing who may not have taken all of the necessary precautions to protect workers from the virus.
“Businesses face unparalleled challenges as they re-open amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Our multidisciplinary working group is focused on helping clients navigate their immediate legal and operational concerns, with a view towards the long-term impacts and potential consequences of re-opening,” the law firm states.
Bloomberg has just announced it is creating a resource for lawyers who are offering pro-bono COVID-19 legal advice.
The company has announced that it is offering 30 days’ complimentary access to its platform to pro bono attorneys who are providing services to those most in need as a result of the novel coronavirus.
“It is our privilege to offer complimentary access to the entire Bloomberg Law platform to those who provide counsel on a pro bono basis to clients who are facing adversity due to this unprecedented health and economic crisis,” said Joe Breda, President, Bloomberg Law. “And to assist all legal professionals with the delivery of legal services related to the pandemic, we’ve also made available at no cost In Focus: Coronavirus, a continuously updated collection of news, analysis, and content related to the coronavirus. This unique resource helps practitioners understand the constantly evolving legal and commercial impacts of the Covid-19 crisis.”