Virus-Stricken Workers Face High Hurdles When Suing Employers

Workers who contract the coronavirus on the job will face an uphill battle in proving their employers created unsafe work conditions, as an anticipated spike in lawsuits related to the pandemic would enter uncharted territory and raise novel legal questions.

Business groups have begun raising the alarm against a potential wave of personal-injury and wrongful death lawsuits filed by employees or their families, and are lobbying the government to shield them from those claims, as the nation gears up for returning to work.

However, it will be difficult for workers to win those cases, employment law professors and attorneys told ...