COVID-19 Legal Issues
McKenna has assembled a COVID-19 team of attorneys to respond to questions related to the legal ramification of the COVID-19 Epidemic, including issues related to Illinois’ shelter in place and the epidemic’s impact on employment, small business, insurance, bankruptcy, banking, mass tort litigation (asbestos), medical malpractice and other legal issues arising during this evolving epidemic.
For more information, please contact us at 312.558.3900.
Read our blogs on the latest COVID-19 Legal Updates:
- Illinois Update- Business Interruption Coverage Does Not Include Losses from COVID 19 PandemicAt the beginning of the COVID-19 Pandemic, two weeks into the Illinois Shelter-In-Place Order, I wrote a blog about insurance coverage for business losses due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. At the time of that blog, more than a billion people… Read more: Illinois Update- Business Interruption Coverage Does Not Include Losses from COVID 19 Pandemic
- Lessons From Virtual Bench Trials And Evidentiary HearingsThe Covid-19 Pandemic undoubtedly changed the face of litigation. In many Illinois state and almost all federal courts, hearings are done virtually. Everything from routine status hearings, to arguments, to bench trials are done through Zoom, or Teams, or some… Read more: Lessons From Virtual Bench Trials And Evidentiary Hearings
- Workers Are Quitting Their Jobs To Put Themselves First, But At What Cost?The pandemic has undoubtedly caused many people stress and is forcing them to quit their jobs to prioritize their mental health, child care, elder care or other issues. Most people that quit do not have to deal with unexpected consequences,… Read more: Workers Are Quitting Their Jobs To Put Themselves First, But At What Cost?
- OSHA – Emergency Temporary Standard Vaccination Requirements and MoreOn November 4, 2021, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued an emergency temporary standard (ETS) for the purpose of minimizing the risk of COVID-19 transmission in the workplace.
- Where are the workers?The help wanted signs are everywhere. What happened to all the workers? There is not a single industry that is not affected by the lack of willing and capable earners. This issue is not just isolated to the restaurant or… Read more: Where are the workers?
- Illinois Businesses Should Look At The Model ABA Rules For Guidance On Virtual PracticeMore than a year has passed since businesses moved to a virtual format in the wake of the Covid-19 global pandemic. Covid-19 is still circulating and new strains, including some more virulent strains, are still a concern for much of… Read more: Illinois Businesses Should Look At The Model ABA Rules For Guidance On Virtual Practice
- Mandatory Employee COVID-19 Vaccination Policies Receive Approval from the EEOCEmployers may be able to mandate that employees get a COVID-19 vaccination before returning to the workplace. The EEOC has updated its COVID-19 webpage to include a section regarding guidance on whether an employer-mandated vaccination policy would violate various federal… Read more: Mandatory Employee COVID-19 Vaccination Policies Receive Approval from the EEOC
- Municipal Authority and Liability During COVID-19 PandemicThe COVID-19 pandemic has impacted our world in a variety of ways we could have never imagined. Opinions on the danger of the virus and how to deal with it also vary greatly. Perhaps the primary issue in the United… Read more: Municipal Authority and Liability During COVID-19 Pandemic
- Businesses Face Criminal Penalties Yet Gain Protection Under Illinois Mask RulesOn August 11, 2020, Illinois Governor. J.B. Pritzker was successful in a second attempt to criminalize business owners who fail to enforce his mask rules. Under Illinois’ new mask rule, local police and prosecutors may impose criminal fines up to $2,500… Read more: Businesses Face Criminal Penalties Yet Gain Protection Under Illinois Mask Rules
- Employers Can Be Fined $2,500 For Failure To Enforce Mask RulesOn August 11, 2020, Illinois Governor. J.B. Pritzker was successful in a second attempt to criminalize business owners who fail to enforce his mask rules. Under Illinois’ new mask rule, local police and prosecutors may impose criminal fines up to $2,500… Read more: Employers Can Be Fined $2,500 For Failure To Enforce Mask Rules
- COVID-19, Job Loss, Too Many Bills: Is Bankruptcy The Solution For You?The first blog in a four part series about filing for a Chapter 7 or 13 bankruptcy. By Sara E. Cook Often when a large corporation files for bankruptcy, you will hear that it is the right business decision, it… Read more: COVID-19, Job Loss, Too Many Bills: Is Bankruptcy The Solution For You?
- Small Business Reorganization Act of 2019 and CARES Act Benefits for Bankruptcy FilersDuring economic hardships, small businesses may need to utilize the oft option of filing for bankruptcy protection to reorganize their debt. Bankruptcy often is considered a last resort option. Yet, it provides a powerful mechanism for individuals and small businesses… Read more: Small Business Reorganization Act of 2019 and CARES Act Benefits for Bankruptcy Filers
- Employers Should Have a COVID-19-Return-to-Work Plan Before ReopeningAs more states loosen the COVID-19 Shelter in Place laws and people begin to return to previously sheltered business, it is essential that businesses have a plan for how that return to work will look and, equally important, convey relevant portions of the plan to its employees.
- COVID 19 Pandemic-Notice To Insurers-Who To Notify And WhenThe landscape of insurance coverage in this era of the COVID-19 Pandemic is likely to change as insurance lawsuits are being filed to determine scope of insurance coverage. Meanwhile, in direct response to COVID-19, several states are attempting to modify… Read more: COVID 19 Pandemic-Notice To Insurers-Who To Notify And When
- COVID –19 Relief Programs For Small BusinessesDifferent programs are available to assist small businesses during this COVID-19 disaster which has swept the country. Small businesses employ over 50% of our employed workers, and are straddled with great challenges in trying to navigate this crisis. Various sources… Read more: COVID –19 Relief Programs For Small Businesses
- Illinois COVID-19 Executive Order 17 Extends Immunity To Healthcare ProfessionsIllinois issued an executive order to protect healthcare workers against liability for negligent treatment of COVID-19 patients.
- Insurance Coverage And The COVID 19 PandemicAs more than a billion people are under some sort of quarantine law and numerous US states and foreign countries have “shelter in place” laws now shuttering many businesses, COVID 19 has caused a financial crisis for many businesses.
- Illinois Employers Shelter In Place Order – Corona Virus (COVID-19) OutbreaksLess than three weeks ago, I wrote a blog regarding why employers needed to be prepared for the reality that the Corona COVID – 19 virus could shut down business. At that time, there had only been two confirmed Illinois… Read more: Illinois Employers Shelter In Place Order – Corona Virus (COVID-19) Outbreaks
- Illinois Employers Should Be Prepared For Corona Virus (COVID-19) OutbreaksIllinois has had only two confirmed cases of the Corona COVID-19 virus and both patients recovered. According to the Illinois Dept. of Health, there are no known, infectious Illinois residents at this time. Nevertheless, employers need to plan.