Indiana Enacts Covid-19 Suit Shield for Employers, Manufacturers

Indiana drug giant Eli Lilly & Co. and other firms in the state’s medical industry received a big boost Thursday with the enactment of a state law giving employers and medical manufacturers immunity from Covid-related suits.

The bill (S.B. 1) blocks tort claims, including class actions, against companies, governments, and individuals who are accused of negligently spreading the virus—a bipartisan “liability shield” similar to those enacted by many states. The bill also goes a step further to benefit the broader drug and medical supply industry by blocking liability for makers and suppliers of medicines, protective equipment, supplies, and ...