Coronavirus

Mostly because of the COVID-19 pandemic, worker safety has consistently been in the news during 2020. For example, in late August, the United Federation of Teachers almost went on strike over coronavirus health concerns. Coronavirus is just the latest in a string of deadly occupational diseases which often affect area workers. Other issues which are…Read the article

NOTE: New York City Marshals began executing first legal residential evictions since the pandemic closed courts across the state in March. Marshals are required to submit their executing warrants of eviction on the Citywide Performance Reporting database.  Various federal and state rules prohibit landlords from evicting tenants who cannot pay their rent because of COVID-19…Read the article

According to one study, college campuses are coronavirus super spreaders. What are the legal implications of this categorization? Notre Dame is a good example. During the spring and summer of 2020, the school’s infection rate was less than half a percent. A week after classes resumed, the infection rate had increased over 300 percent. Complicating…Read the article

Lawyers for the transportation giant made a last-ditch effort to have a class-action lawsuit thrown out of court. But customers may have effectively stopped that from happening. When the coronavirus pandemic hit, United cancelled flights right and left. Instead of issuing refunds, the airline gave ticketholders vouchers for future travel. In a court filing, the…Read the article

The coronavirus pandemic has put a damper on pretty much every family event on the calendar this year. But with a little additional planning, your 2020 Thanksgiving celebration could look a lot like the one you had last year. Before you start going through our well-put-together list, think about what makes Thanksgiving special for your…Read the article

Most parts of the country are currently experiencing a coronavirus surge. This uptick comes at a very bad time. Many health care workers, and health care facilities, are showing some signs of strain. Furthermore, Thanksgiving is traditionally one of the busiest travel times of the year. Many college students head home, and many families plan…Read the article

Local or state politicians will probably make the final Halloween rules. But the Centers for Disease Control has already issued some guidelines in this area. “Many traditional Halloween activities can be high-risk for spreading viruses. If you may have COVID-19 or you may have been exposed to someone with COVID-19, you should not participate in…Read the article

Largely as a result of poor decisions and chronic understaffing, two workers at a Massachusetts soldiers’ home might spend the next thirteen years in prison because of criminal charges. A grand jury indicted Bennett Walsh and Dr. David Clinton, two members of Holyoke Soldiers’ Home’s leadership team nursing home, on multiple charges. According to prosecutors,…Read the article

Coronavirus, the California wildfires, a more-active-than-normal tropical storm season, and some other events have brought a whole new meaning to 2020’s National Preparedness Month. Two-thirds of Americans have taken at least three of the six steps toward a complete disaster recovery plan (three days of supplies, talking to others, attending a meeting, obtaining official information,…Read the article

In the spring and summer of 2020, virtual healthcare visits increased over 4,000 percent, mostly due to the coronavirus outbreak. The number of healthcare facilities offering such services also increased significantly, mostly due to supply and demand. Previously, many facilities hesitated to offer such services, typically because of high implementation costs. Virtual healthcare contacts do…Read the article