As more states report cases of the coronavirus (COVID-19), you should know about your legal rights and the risks associated with coronavirus. 

Microsoft, SAP, JPMorgan Chase, and hundreds of other employers have imposed restrictions on travel, domestic as well as international. Countless supply contracts are being disrupted by factory shutdowns in the areas most affected by COVID-19. Facebook, Stanford University, SXSW, and Google have canceled long-planned business conferences and events.

Two people have already died in Florida out of at least a dozen Florida residents that state health officials say have tested positive for the new strain of coronavirus that is now quickly spreading across the United States and other parts of the world.  

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis spoke at a press conference at Port Everglades on Saturday where Vice President Mike Pence as well as Florida Senators Rick Scott and Marco Rubio addressed the spread of the virus and the danger to the state’s elderly population.  “This is a virus that has a disproportionate impact on that community,” DeSantis said.

Legal Matters Involving Coronavirus 

Whether you are a big or small office, and whether you have offices overseas or not, every employer (and employee) should have a disaster plan in place for the coronavirus and other types of health crises as well as natural disasters. Companies should consider how to protect their employees and their productivity without running afoul of employment laws.

As an employer, the most important message to communicate is that employees should stay home from work when they are sick and telecommute if necessary.  With the global spread of coronavirus, companies should focus first and foremost on employee safety. Business continuity plus the well-being of your employees and clients is of the utmost importance. 

Employers can require that an infected or at-risk employee stay home from work if the employer has a reasonable objective belief that the employee poses a direct threat to the workforce.  An employee’s race, color, sex, national origin, or perceived or actual disability cannot be taken into account when assessing risk.

Employers cannot require employees to undergo medical exams and should avoid making unnecessary inquiries into an employee’s medical status.  The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), along with equivalent state and local laws, restrict an employer’s ability to ask questions about an employee’s medical condition. 

The Family Medical Leave Act provides job-protected unpaid leave for employees and their family members who are suffering from a “serious health condition.” If an employee or his/her immediate family member contracts the coronavirus, the FMLA could be triggered. 

Will insurance cover COVID-19 losses? Losses related to coronavirus could be covered under insurance depending on the type of loss, the type of coverage, and the terms and conditions of specific policies.  Policyholders should review their insurance coverage provisions.

Business interruption insurance could provide coverage for income and other losses.

The scope of coverage for coronavirus and other infectious disease-related losses will ultimately depend upon the specific language of each insurance policy. Remember, too, not every contract and governing law provides for a force majeure defense based on unforeseeable events outside the parties’ control. 

Next Steps

The main challenges in the next few weeks are to become informed on legal options, develop a risk management strategy, keep up with health guidelines, and exercise a certain degree of common sense. It is important that you consult with counsel regarding your legal rights in light of the coronavirus.

Corless Barfield Trial Group advises clients on numerous legal issues relating to the coronavirus and its effects, such as force majeure clauses in contracts, employment law matters, insurance law, negotiating commercial agreements in light of world events, and risk mitigation, among other issues.  For a free, no-obligation consultation, call Corless Barfield at 813-258-4998.

Trial work is not easy, and a lot of lawyers claim to do it but they either have little to no experience trying cases or they are not very good at it. Real trial lawyers go to trial often and win. For a free consultation on your Florida property damage claim, contact Corless Barfield Trial Group today at 813-258-4998.

Corless Barfield Trial Group has handled hundreds of property damage cases and collected hundreds of millions of dollars for insureds. We are a high stakes trial law firm and outperform other law firms through our tenacity, experience, and preparation.

Some lawyers live in libraries or conference rooms with stacks of paper, arguing over terms and conditions, and some get hired on cases where they may need to go to trial. We take cases where we believe we can recover what the client is due, and trial must be inevitable. Otherwise, insurance companies will deny or underpay what they owe.

Most lawyers go to trial because they have to; our lawyers go to court because that’s what we do. Through our experience managing major investigations, working as jury consultants and with focus groups, and using enhanced technologies in the courtroom, we have a track record of success litigating complex, high stakes insurance disputes.

Our successes and record-setting verdicts are well-documented in the media. CBTG is composed of highly skilled trial lawyers, whose clients are not just insureds but other law firms whose clients now require the experience we can provide as co-counsel.

We pride ourselves on mastering the following skills that we believe greatly contribute to our excellent courtroom success:

• Experience
• Communication
• Negotiation
• Analytical Skills
• Interpersonal Skills
• Organization
• Polished Performances
• Teamwork

In trial, success comes from experience, and as a client of ours, you’ll have the experience of attorneys who have tried more than 100 jury cases. We know the ins and outs of jury selection, how to convey complex information to a jury, and how to persuade a jury by telling your story in a way that resonates with jurors from all walks of life.

We have found that what it takes to win big ticket property damage cases is unsurpassed storytelling skills, gritty determination, slavish preparation, refined listening skills, good judgment, and expert cross-examination. There is no substitute for trial experience when it comes to your case. Choose wisely. If you want to play in the Big Leagues, you need a Big League law firm.

Corless Barfield Trial Group represents Florida property owners in their insurance disputes, which include hurricane damage, storm damage, wind damage, sinkholes, catastrophic ground cover collapse, fire loss, and water damage.

As damages can cost thousands to hundreds of millions of dollars, you need a property damage litigator who can fight back and win at trial since insurers regularly seek to delay, deny or underpay insurance claims.

Call Corless Barfield Trial Group today at 813-258-4998 to put our trial experience to good use for you. We provide trial services from the very start of litigation through appeal where necessary. Learn more at www.corlessbarfield.com and call us for a free consultation on your property damage insurance claim.

The cause of the Sept. 2 fire, which killed 34 people, is now the subject of an intensive investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board, the U.S. Coast Guard, and other federal and county agencies.  A preliminary investigation has suggested serious safety deficiencies aboard the vessel.

Fire damage to your home, boat or business can be sudden and devastating.  If you have suffered smoke or fire damage and your insurance company seeks to deny, delay or underpay your valid claim, we encourage you to contact the experienced insurance lawyers at Corless Barfield Trial Group at 813-258-4998. 

Fire damage is a hot topic in the news.  A jury in Oakland, Calif., recently found one man not guilty of 36 counts of involuntary manslaughter in the 2016 fire at Oakland’s Ghost Ship warehouse but could not reach a verdict for the building’s leaseholder.  It was one of the deadliest nightclub fires in U.S. history, killing 36 people. 

The Ghost Ship fire tore through a late-night party in Oakland’s Fruitvale neighborhood that had been transformed into a ramshackle artist collective known as Ghost Ship.  The jury’s verdict begs the question, what is the duty owed to the public to protect from a fire?

Whether your home or business was completely destroyed by a fire or only partially damaged, your insurance company will attempt to delay, deny or underpay your property damage claim.

Homeowners and business owners should bring in a policyholder attorney to help prove the worth of their fire claims and protect their rights. Insurance companies rarely contemplate the hidden effects of a fire in your home or business when they consider your compensation package and initial settlement offer.

Besides the structural damage, fires can also damage heating and cooling systems, plumbing, and concrete or steel building materials.  Additionally, there is the costly damage caused by smoke, soot, and the water used to fight the fire. 

The Florida-based attorneys at Corless Barfield Trial Group will investigate your case, and consult with our team of insurance and engineering experts, to determine the full value of your claim.

We will fight for you in court to obtain the money that you deserve from the insurance company to which you have dutifully paid your insurance premiums.

The policyholder attorneys at Corless Barfield Trial Group have years of experience working with homeowners and business owners throughout Florida who have been treated unfairly by their insurance companies, and we would be happy to help you.  Contact us at 813-258-4998 for a free consultation.

An experienced Florida hurricane lawyer can help resolve your insurance coverage claim.  Property owners, property managers, HOAs, Community Management Associations, and Licensed Community Association Managers don’t have to fight insurers alone for compensation stemming from storm damage.

The nationally recognized law firm of Corless Barfield Trial Group has built a tradition of success and a strong reputation for favorable results to ensure property damage claim interests are protected.  We are able to provide the resources needed to navigate the insurance claims process for Florida clients. Contact Corless Barfield Trial Group today at 813-258-4998 for a free consultation regarding your insurance policy for property damage caused by any of the following:

✓ Hurricanes

✓ Tropical Storms

✓ Flooding

✓ Winds

✓ Hail

✓ Impact Damage

✓ Lightning

Did you suffer property damage in a storm?  Is your insurance company offering you less than you need to repair the damage, or are they denying your claim entirely?

Our law firm provides skilled and knowledgeable attorney representation to homeowners, businesses, and condominium owners and associations throughout Florida who have suffered property damage due to hurricanes or tropical storms.  

One of the best ways to protect yourself and your property is to know your rights. Insurance companies in Florida use a number of different tactics to deny and delay payment for storm-related damage.  What are the pitfalls you should look for? Insurance companies attempt to dispute coverage for storm damage claims because …

1. damage was allegedly pre-existing 
2. damage was caused by flood or wind not covered under the policy 
3. failure to mitigate
4. damage was not reported immediately.

Insurers may sometimes provide only a portion of the coverage you need for your property damage and fail to acknowledge the severity of the actual damage with its associated costs for repair or replacement. As a result, if your residence or business has suffered storm damage, it is best to have an attorney representing your rights and interests. 

Corless Barfield handles hundreds of cases for insureds who are in need of advice or representation against insurance companies after storm damage. We’re ready to investigate your claim, gather evidence to support your position, and help you achieve the best possible outcome at trial.

As dedicated trial lawyers who have more than 20 years of experience with hurricane and property damage insurance claims, the attorneys at Corless Barfield Trial Group are ready to fight for your rights. Receive a case evaluation on your hurricane or property damage claim from the attorneys at Corless Barfield by calling 813-258-4998.