The seven-member California Supreme Court on Thursday unanimously ruled that allowing so-called "take home COVID" claims could encourage businesses to adopt precautions that slow the delivery of services to the public, or to shut down completely during pandemics.
"Even limiting a duty of care to employees' household members, the pool of potential plaintiffs would be enormous, numbering not thousands but millions of Californians," Justice Carol Corrigan wrote for the court.
Circuit Court of Appeals last year asked it to decide whether California law recognizes negligence claims against employers when workers spread COVID to household members.
The 9th Circuit is considering Kuciemba's bid to revive her lawsuit after it was dismissed by a California federal judge.
Business groups had argued that allowing take home COVID claims could prompt lawsuits by an infected employee's family and friends, and anyone infected by that circle of people, creating a never-ending chain of liability.
Persons:
Corby Kuciemba, COVID, Carol Corrigan, Woodworks, Thursday's, Daniel Wiessner, Alexia Garamfalvi, Richard Chang
Organizations:
COVID, Victory Woodworks Inc, Kuciemba, San, Circuit, Thomson
Locations:
pandemics, California, San Francisco