"Once coronavirus fades, global businesses are set to face new danger: a wave of lawsuits," 4 March 2020

The coronavirus has upended markets, disrupted supply chains and forced quarantines. It’s all fertile ground for lawsuits.

Hospitals, restaurants, day care centers, nursing homes and hotels may face claims that they didn’t take adequate steps to protect people. Shareholders can sue if companies fail to act effectively in response to the epidemic...

Some cases have already been filed: The pilots’ union at American Airlines Group Inc. sued the carrier to stop it from serving China, while the city of Costa Mesa, California, sued the U.S. government to halt the transfer of quarantined cruise passengers to a state-owned facility there...

Some companies have already limited business travel and encouraged employees to work from home. Several industry conferences have been scrapped to prevent large gatherings from spreading the virus.

Now some fear they may be held liable for workers’ participation in meetings or corporate events where employees are exposed. At the same time, efforts to protect staff could run afoul of privacy rules.

“What can they and can’t they ask their workforce about their potential exposure to the virus, travel activities and medical history?” said David Newman, a partner at Morrison & Foerster in Washington, who is leading the firm’s task force on advising clients about the outbreak...

Companies “may need to be more flexible in allowing employees to take sick leave and providing sick pay to motivate them to stay home,” said Sloane Ackerman, a labor and employment lawyer with O’Melveny & Myers in New York.