Calif. Federal Judge Tosses Secondhand COVID-19 Exposure Case

SAN FRANCISCO — A California federal judge has dismissed a case in which a woman accused her husband’s employer of failing to protect its workers from COVID-19 and refusing to follow safety protocols, causing her to become infected with the virus.

On May 10, Judge Maxine M. Chesney of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California ruled that to the extent the claims are based upon allegations that plaintiff contracted COVID-19 “through direct contact with” her husband, they are barred by the exclusive remedy provisions of California’s workers’ compensation statutes.

The judge further held that to the …