Can You Bring a Claim for Contracting COVID at Work?

With the Coronavirus rampaging throughout the world, it’s only normal for COVID 19 lawsuit cases to increase. While a significant chunk of these lawsuits is related to healthcare workers, almost any employee can build a claim if their employer is negligent.

But with the situation still developing throughout the world, and many countries still having an unclear set of rules about how to handle situations like this, it can be kind of tricky.

Yes, some workers can hold their employees liable and build a case, but in some cases, it’s either really hard or near impossible.

Suppose you believe you’ve contracted Coronavirus because your employer didn’t provide the necessary protection from the virus (meaning, they didn’t follow government-issued protocol). In that case, you may have a pretty strong chance to build a case.

But that’s only part of the story, so continue reading to learn more.

Proving you have contracted COVID-19 at work can be a bit of a hassle to prove

Okay, this one is most likely the most crucial part of building a case against your employer.

Can you prove that you contracted COVID-19 in your workplace?

While there are certain times that this can be proven, that’s not always so easy to do. You’ll have to get at least a handful of colleagues (those you were in contact with) tested. Not to mention that you will need a professional team to go inside your workplace and take samples that may prove that Coronavirus is present in your workplace.

However, this could only happen if there are numerous cases reported, and there’s a potential COVID-19 outbreak happening at your workplace.

Many businesses are seeking ways to limited liability when it comes down to Coronavirus

It’s only normal for business owners to seek limited liability when the topic at hand is COVID.

After all, it’s a virus, so there’s not much you can do about stopping it’s spread. As long as business owners follow procedures, businesses shouldn’t be held liable.

And the government is actually sympathetic to business owners. That’s why in the near future, we may be witnessing a change. Maybe employees won’t be allowed to hold their employers liable, as long as the business is following procedures.

Does worker’s compensation cover coronavirus related cases?

This is a pretty tricky question. Mostly because the answer is: It depends.

Usually, if you’re missing work because you’re sick, you won’t get worker’s compensation. But the case of COVID-19 is a bit different.

It boils down to a simple rule. If you contracted the virus during the weekend while you were out and about, you wouldn’t get worker’s compensations.

However, if you contracted the virus while you were in the office, you may be eligible for a worker’s compensation.

But we go back to the first part of the article, can you prove you contracted the virus.

If there’s one thing to keep in mind in this situation

It’s to do our due diligence and keep everyone healthy. While everything is still developing, it’s important to keep an ear out on the news to track how the government will tackle this problem.

Businesses need to start opening doors, but this can be hard if there’s huge uncertainty around legal issues like this.