The nation's small businesses must be protected from being slapped with coronavirus liability lawsuits as they struggle to reopen their doors, Sen. John Thune said Tuesday.
"The businesses are all fighting to stay afloat, and if we come out of this and are starting to recover and then they get hit with all of the frivolous lawsuits that end up bankrupting the company, that runs counter to what we want to see happening," the South Dakota Republican said on Fox News' "Fox and Friends."
Thune said he's spoken with some businesses in his state who are concerned that they could be "doing everything right," including following state and federal guidelines, only to be hit with a frivolous lawsuit that could put them out of business.
"That's what we want to avoid," said Thune. "If you're somebody that's engaging in gross negligence when it comes to abiding by or practicing those rules, then obviously, you're probably not going to be protected."
But hitting small businesses that are trying to do things the right way and protect their employees should be protected, because such lawsuits "could really run counter to getting the economy growing and expanding and getting us back to normal," said Thune.
However, "trial lawyers are lining up out there," to look for potential COVID-19 victims, and lawsuits are already being contemplated against not only businesses but healthcare providers, said Thune.
If legislation would allow, however, businesses would have limited liability protection against frivolous lawsuits if they are "doing everything by the book and following the law," said Thune.
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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