The post-pandemic era has brought about some of the largest jury verdicts seen to date. For example, just this month an Iowa jury awarded $97.4 million to a child and his family in a medical malpractice birth injury case. In Washington State, $185 million was awarded to three teachers who were exposed to long-lasting chemicals
Litigation
EEOC Says COVID-19 Can Be a Disability Under the ADA
Originally Posted on The Energy Law Blog
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”) announced on December 14, 2021, that employees who contract COVID-19 may be protected from discrimination under federal law. This supplements previously issued guidance addressing when people with “long COVID” may be deemed disabled under the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”).
The…
Senate Passes Bill Barring Mandatory Arbitration in Sexual Misconduct Cases
Originally Posted on The Energy Law Blog
In a significant win for the #MeToo movement, the U.S. Senate passed a bill on Thursday, February 10, 2021, which ensures that employees who are sexually harassed or assaulted in the workplace can pursue their claims in court. The bill invalidates pre-dispute agreements that require individuals to arbitrate…
United States Supreme Court Halts OSHA COVID-19 Vaccine-or-Test Rule, But Allows CMS Healthcare Worker Vaccine Mandate to Stand
Originally Posted on The Energy Law Blog
In an opinion that employers across the country have been eagerly anticipating, the United States Supreme Court today issued a per curiam opinion blocking the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (“OSHA”) rule that would have required roughly 80 million workers to obtain a COVID-19 vaccination or be tested…
Louisiana Supreme Court Relies on Employment-at-Will Doctrine in Enforcing Private Employer’s Vaccine Mandate
Originally Posted on The Energy Law Blog
On Friday, January 7, 2022, the Louisiana Supreme Court unanimously upheld a COVID-19 vaccine mandate program that the state’s largest private healthcare system implemented for its employees. Hayes, et al. v. University Health Shreveport, 21-01601 (La. 1/7/22). In doing so, the Court reaffirmed the employment-at-will doctrine, and…