Democrats, tort lawyers pan McConnell’s liability immunity idea

Protection against COVID-19 cases

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s call to make tort reform a condition for giving state and local governments aid for budgets depleted by COVID-19 have left Democrats and plaintiffs’ attorneys with a bitter taste in their mouths.

“Before we start sending additional money down to states and localities, I want to make sure that we protect the people we’ve already sent assistance to, who are going to be set up for an avalanche of lawsuits if we don’t act,” McConnell said Monday on Fox News Radio. “The lawyers, trial lawyers, are sharpening their pencils to come after health care providers and businesses, arguing that somehow the decision they made with regard to reopening adversely affected the health of someone else.”

McConnell didn’t detail what kind of change he would like to see in tort law, but the nature of the COVID-19 pandemic may affect the nature of any legislative and legal debate. Continue reading.