Thousands of Americans have reportedly signed onto a class action lawsuit in the southern US state of Florida which seeks compensation from the Chinese Government for coronavirus damages, as Western politicians increasingly call for accountability.
According to a statement from the Miami-based Berman Law Group, the lawsuit "seeks billions of dollars in compensatory damages for those who have suffered personal injuries, wrongful deaths, property damage and other damages due to China's failure to contain the COVID-19 virus, despite their ability to have stopped the spread of the virus in its early stages," ABC News reports.
The firm said it "looks forward to fighting for the rights of people and businesses across Florida and the rest of the country, who are now becoming sick or caring for loved ones, dealing with financial calamity, and navigating this new world of panic and social distancing and isolation.''
A separate class action lodged on behalf of Las Vegas businesses is seeking billions of dollars in damages on behalf of five local businesses.
The lawsuit claims that China's Government should have shared more information about the virus but intimidated doctors, scientists, journalists and lawyers while allowing the coronavirus respiratory illness to spread.
The Chinese Government has repeatedly denied suppressing information in the early days of the crisis, saying it immediately reported the outbreak to the World Health Organisation (WHO).
Newsweek reports that at least four lawsuits have been filed in the US.
In one suit filed in late March, a coalition of California property managers and an accounting firm are seeking to represent all "small businesses" in California that have suffered as a result of the viruss. A suit filed in mid-March by several Florida residents aims to assemble its own class of millions of people.
In one suit filed in late March, a coalition of California property managers and an accounting firm are seeking to represent all "small businesses" in California that have suffered as a result of COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. A suit filed in mid-March by several Florida residents aims to assemble its own class of millions of people.
The lawsuits will already face a substantial barrier in attempting to bring the Chinese into U.S. courts, explained Chimène Keitner, a professor of international law at the University of California, Hastings College of Law, and a former State Department Civil Service employee.
According to Keitner, the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act of 1976 (FSIA) provides foreign governments blanket immunity from most U.S.-tried lawsuits, carving out exceptions only in a few narrow circumstances.-ABC News/Newsweek
