Lawsuits over COVID-19 spread could be blocked by Ohio House bill

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WSYX/WTTE) — If eventually signed into law, a bill currently working through Ohio House committees could eliminate Ohioans’ right to sue healthcare workers and systems, and business owners and employees, who are suspected to have contributed to the spread and infection of COVID-19.

H.B. 606 had a brief hearing in the House Civil Justice Committee on Wednesday morning. The bill was originally written to protect healthcare workers from being sued if they inadvertently spread the COVID-19 coronavirus to another person while carrying out their work responsibilities.

The Civil Justice Committee and House Majority Leader Bill Seitz (R-Green Township) generally supported additional protection on Wednesday which expanded the lawsuit immunity to Ohio businesses.

Under the proposed law, healthcare workers could only be sued if they acted “willfully” to spread infection. Businesses would only be open to lawsuits if they were shown to have acted “recklessly.”

“I don’t want a Walmart to be sued because they kept (someone) five feet apart from (someone else), and not six feet apart,” said Seitz.

Disability Rights Ohio, an advocacy organization for disabled Ohioans, submitted written testimony on Wednesday protesting the limit on regulation and lawsuit to prevent healthcare workers from acting recklessly or abusively, in places like nursing homes or long-term care centers.

“We certainly think there’s a disproportionate negative impact on people with disabilities by these changes,” said DRO’s director Kerstin Sjoberg. “This bill could potential he make it more difficult to prevent abuse and neglect, in-state nursing facilities, for example.”

The Ohio Association of Justice, which represents lawyers, signaled on Wednesday that it appreciated the progress on the bill, which is still many legislative steps from becoming law.