Articles by Tom Hals

OSHA Releases First Coronavirus Guidance for Nursing Homes

The U.S. Department of Labor last Thursday issued its first workplace guidance to nursing homes since the COVID-19 pandemic swept the country and ravaged care facilities, saying residents, staff and visitors should keep 6 feet (1.83 meters) apart. The alert …

Few Coronavirus Liability Lawsuits Have Been Filed Thus Far

Businesses are urging U.S. lawmakers to shield companies from what they fear could be a flood of lawsuits by workers and consumers blaming employers for exposing them to the new coronavirus. But so far, court records show few such cases …

Trump Administration Defends Workplace Safety Record During Coronavirus Crisis

U.S. Labor Secretary Eugene Scalia on Thursday defended his department’s handling of workplace safety during the coronavirus pandemic, saying “the cop is on the beat” in response to union criticism about a lack of directives to protect workers. In a …

Consumer Groups Oppose Immunity for Businesses From Coronavirus Lawsuits

U.S. consumer advocates are urging Congress to resist growing demands by companies for protections from coronavirus-related lawsuits as states start to ease pandemic restrictions and businesses begin to reopen. Led by Public Citizen and the Center for Justice and Democracy, …

New York Nurses Sue State and Two Hospitals Over ‘Inadequate’ Virus Protection

The New York State Nurses Association sued the state and two hospitals on Monday to force them to provide equipment and adopt safety measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 among the association’s members in the hard-hit state. The association …

Couple Suing Princess Cruise Line Over Coronavirus Claims Improper Screening

A Florida couple who was aboard the coronavirus-hit Grand Princess ocean liner has sued the ship’s owner for more than $1 million, claiming the company put profits over safety and did not have proper screening protocols in place. Ronald and …

Opioid Firms Warn Lawyers’ Bid for 7% Fee Jeopardizes Settlement

Johnson & Johnson and other drug companies facing thousands of lawsuits over their role in the opioid epidemic have warned that settlement talks will be “severely” jeopardized if plaintiffs’ lawyers are allowed to assess a fee payment worth billions of …

Facing Hundreds of Abuse Claims, Boy Scouts of America Files for Bankruptcy

The Boy Scouts of America said on Tuesday it had filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy amid a flood of lawsuits over allegations of child sexual abuse stretching back decades. The bankruptcy is not expected to affect the organization’s programs, which …

Where Purdue Pharma-Sackler Legal Maters Stand Now

OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma LP and its controlling Sackler family have been negotiating with cities, counties and states on a proposed settlement worth an estimated $10 billion to resolve more than 2,600 lawsuits alleging they helped fuel the U.S. opioid …

Opioid Kickback Probe Cites OxyContin Maker Purdue Pharma: Reuters

OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma LP is the unnamed company that surfaced in criminal charging documents filed earlier this week in a probe of illegal kickbacks from drugmakers, according to people familiar with the matter. Purdue Pharma, which faces U.S. Justice …