Texans for Lawsuit Reform

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In the News

Some small businesses worried about COVID-19 lawsuits, despite statewide protections expected

KWTX, February 10, 2021

By Matt Zdun

KILLEEN, Texas (KWTX) – Last week, Gov. Greg Abbott in his State of the State address said he wanted to shield Texas businesses that have remained open during the pandemic and followed state COVID-19 protocols from customer and employee lawsuits.

He made that one of his five emergency priorities this legislative session, and several groups that represent small businesses applauded the decision.

“If you have a business like a restaurant that has put forth a good faith, reasonable effort to comply with those safety guidelines, let’s protect them from having to defend themselves against a frivolous lawsuit,” said Kelsey Erickson Streufert, the vice president of government relations and advocacy at the Texas Restaurant Association.

So far, no state lawmaker has filed a bill with these protections, but state Sen. Kelly Hancock, R-North Richland Hills, is expected to file one soon, said Streufert.

“Various lawyers and experts and stakeholders have been working on the language for months,” she said.

However, even with the protections, Killeen restaurant owner Josie McKinney says small businesses across the state are still in a “scary place.”

“To have somebody go and test positive for COVID and then publicly announce, ‘The only place I’ve been in weeks is this place’ is very harmful to a business owner,” McKinney said.

She said that even with liability protections, it could still be the customer’s word versus hers.

“Unless you can go back and document every minute of every day that a customer’s in the building, it’s going to be really hard to say, ‘Were they following the right practices?’ if the customer says they weren’t,” McKinney said.

She also said that, even if it is harder to sue small businesses, these businesses could still face harmful damage to their reputations.

The liability protections for businesses are expected only to apply to those businesses that have complied with state and local COVID-19 safety protocols.

They are also expected to extend to religious organizations, nonprofits and healthcare organizations.

Copyright 2021 KWTX. All rights reserved.

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Texans for Lawsuit Reform

6 hours ago

Texans for Lawsuit Reform

When 30-year-old Quinnton Allen violated his parole for possession of a firearm, a Houston judge not only allowed him to stay on parole but granted him a PR bond for a felony. Unfortunately, the decision to release him on bond may have cost a man’s life. Read and share: bit.ly/3OvDU5z ... See MoreSee Less

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29-year-old man murdered after judge grants felony PR bond to armed robber recently paroled from prison

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HOUSTON – “I’ve never had any of these defendants we’ve profiled on Breaking Bond on parole and on a felony PR bond charged with murder,” said Andy Kahan with Crime Stoppers. “This is a fi...
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That judge should be held accountable

His family should get a good lawyer & sue the city & the judge…

The judge should be held as an accomplice to the murder before the fact and sued in civil court for his contribution to the death of the citizen.

Texans for Lawsuit Reform

1 day ago

Texans for Lawsuit Reform

Texas ports are thriving today, but in the early 2000s, abusive personal injury lawsuits threatened to shut them down. As the Port of Houston begins a long-awaited expansion, read more about the common-sense lawsuit reform in 2007 that saved our state’s shipping industry in this week’s TLR blog, For the Record: bit.ly/3aeTy6n ... See MoreSee Less

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Texans for Lawsuit Reform

2 days ago

Texans for Lawsuit Reform

Wishing everyone a very happy Fourth of July! ... See MoreSee Less

Wishing everyone a very happy Fourth of July!
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Happy Independence Day America Today we celebrate our Republic 🇺🇸


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Join us in pursuing our mission of creating a fair, balanced, and predictable legal system! #lawsuitreform #stoplawsuitabuse

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lawsuitreform avatarTLR@lawsuitreform·
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When 30-year-old Quinnton Allen violated his parole for possession of a firearm, a Houston judge not only allowed him to stay on parole but granted him a PR bond for a felony. The decision to release him on bond may have cost a man’s life. Read & RT:

29-year-old man murdered after judge grants felony PR bond to armed robber recently paroled from prison

HOUSTON – “I’ve never had any of these defendants we’ve profiled on Breaking Bond on parole and on a felony PR bond charged with m...

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Texans for Lawsuit Reform
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