California Supreme Court: Employers Not Liable for COVID-19 Spread to Workers' Families

California Supreme Court ruled that employers are not legally responsible for preventing the spread of COVID-19 from their employees to their family members.
Workers' compensation laws do not preclude such claims, but companies cannot be held legally responsible due to the burden it would place on them, the courts, and society.
The ruling undermines a federal lawsuit brought by a woman who alleged that her husband's employer caused her hospitalization due to COVID-19.
The decision is a victory for major employers and business organizations in California, as they argued that allowing such claims would lead to an overwhelming number of lawsuits and potentially cripple businesses.
The ruling came after the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals sought clarification on whether state law allowed for such claims or held companies responsible for preventing COVID-19 infections among employees' family members.