The Coronavirus pandemic has hit Canada very hard, which is why many personal injury lawyers of Sault Ste. Marie have had to deal with cases related to it in the area. This article will answer 3 common questions about lawsuits involving this disease.
IS SPREADING THE CORONAVIRUS A CRIME?
A person who deliberately spread the coronavirus can be sued, regardless of whether it occurred inside or outside the work area. For example, in various places in Europe, some people have decided to sue others who voluntarily cause them to contract the disease.
The common flu is not classified as a plausible occupational disease, but a person who has contracted COVID-19 because of a company’s “reckless disrespect for the lives of others” can sue for it.
“CAN I SUE MY EMPLOYER IF I GET CORONAVIRUS AT WORK?”
There are 3 circumstances when victims can sue the company if they have contracted coronavirus at work:
● Unhealthy working conditions.
● Omission of the health recommendations proposed by the state, or violation of the economic opening rules.
● The employer forces their employees to report to work or threatens to fire them even though he knows the employees have symptoms.
The employer could be sued for personal injury in COVID-19 cases If an employee prefers not to attend a meeting because they know that the person they are meeting with has Coronavirus, and the employer still pressures the employee.
If the employee gives in to the pressure and becomes infected, the employer must answer for the medical expenses of the victim’s recovery, and remunerate their salary. The employer cannot fire their employee, and he must cover all their injuries.
ARE WORK TRIPS TO PLACES WHERE THERE ARE COVID-19 OUTBREAKS ILLEGAL?
They are not illegal, an employer can instruct his employee to go anywhere in order to fulfill their duties in the company.
The worker could only refuse to travel if the order was abusive, illegal due to travel restrictions, or endangers their safety or physical integrity to an extreme degree.
SUING FOR CONTRACTING CORONAVIRUS AT WORK IS POSSIBLE
To sue for COVID-19 it is necessary to prove that the victim contracted it as a result of work-related activities. It would be convenient for the victim to have a record of activities, dates, and physical condition; and above all, it is essential that the doctor prove the existence and origin of the disease.
The word of a doctor counts as an authority in claims for contracting COVID-19 at work.
MAKING A CLAIM FOR CONTRACTING COVID-19 FOR DEFECTIVE PRODUCTS IS ALSO POSSIBLE
If a man got infected with COVID-19 because there was a viral load in his medicines, food, or any other kind of product, he can sue the creator of the product or its distributor.
CONCLUSIONS
It is possible to sue for contracting Coronavirus at work, for infected products, or for the recklessness of another person.
Sault Ste. Marie personal injury lawyers can advocate for people in the area who are experiencing this situation and are willing to advise employers who want to prevent this from occurring.