For Immediate Release
Wednesday, April 15, 2020
202-285-0244
www.freedomandprosperity.org
Coalition Calls for Liability Protections for Frontline Pandemic Responders
(Washington, D.C., Wednesday, April 15, 2020) Reports suggest that without action, lawyers will soon be flocking to the courts to seek to profit from the global pandemic. A coalition representing 22 organizations, led by the Center for Freedom and Prosperity, today urged Congress to protect healthcare workers and businesses from opportunistic and abusive lawsuits following the COVID-19 pandemic.
An excerpt from the coalition letter:
“While the rest of America has come together to fight this pandemic, some trial lawyers have instead plotted to line their pockets with COVID19 related lawsuits. Their greed is hurting America in this time of crisis, and lawmakers must put their exploitation of this public health crisis into check.
Because of the looming threat posed by the trial lawyers’ tort agendas, doctors and healthcare professionals remain fearful of making the tough healthcare decisions that are needed to respond to this pandemic; hospitals, nursing homes, and assisted living facilities are afraid that the care delivered in unprecedented circumstances will be second-guessed; manufacturers are hesitant to produce essential products; and transportation companies are risking their very existence to keep America supplied.”
CF&P President Andrew F. Quinlan commented, “As healthcare professionals and other essential workers risk their lives to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, Washington owes it to them to provide protections taken in a time of crisis. Our already weakened economy cannot afford to now line the pockets of greedy trial lawyers.”
The letter urges Congress to respect Constitutional limits, but warns that without action, “Costs will significantly rise on the American people in the form of higher healthcare bills, reduced competition and access to treatment and care, and increased prices on the goods and services that they need to weather this crisis.”
Representatives from the following 22 organizations joined the letter:
Center for Freedom and Prosperity, Americans for Tax Reform, FreedomWorks, Americans for Prosperity, Center for a Free Economy, American Commitment, The American Consumer Institute, 60 Plus Association, Frontiers of Freedom, Committee to Unleash Prosperity, Tea Party Nation, HSA Coalition, Center for Individual Freedom, Institute for Liberty, Citizen Outreach, Hispanic Leadership Fund, Consumer Action for a Strong Economy, National Tax Limitation Foundation, Phyllis Schlafly Eagles, Pacific Research Institute, National Center for Public Policy Research, Americans for Limited Government
The full letter is available here.
For additional comments:
Andrew Quinlan can be reached at 202-285-0244, andy@freedomandprosperity.org
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Image credit: Daniel_B_photos | Pixabay License.
