Gov. Roy Cooper has signed legislation to protect small businesses and other organizations from frivolous COVID-19 lawsuits.
“North Carolina is looking at a long recovery from the economic shutdown that devastated the state’s small business,” NFIB State Director Gregg Thompson said. “The last thing employers need right now is the cost of defending themselves against trial lawyers hoping to exploit the pandemic for profit. House Bill 118, the COVID-19 Liability Safe Harbor Bill, is commonsense legislation that would provide broad protections not only to small businesses but also to schools and government agencies when they’re down and trying to recover from the shutdown.
“If a business willfully ignores the rules, then it should be held accountable, but House Bill 118 would make it harder for people to go after honest employers who follow public health guidelines to keep their employees and customers safe.
“On behalf of our members, I want to thank Governor Cooper for signing House Bill 118 into law. Without this legislation, legal fees could cause some small businesses to close their doors for good.”
