Five Floridian plaintiffs have filed a class action lawsuit challenging the Chinese government’s handling of the coronavirus outbreak.
The coronavirus class action lawsuit was filed by Logan Alters, Marta Reyes, Lawrence Wood, Stephen Clyne, and The Pitching Lab, also known as TBT Training.
The five plaintiffs argue that it was due, at least in part, to the Chinese government’s mishandling of the coronavirus outbreak that the issue turned into a worldwide pandemic.
They seek to represent two Classes of people affected by the outbreak — a Class of all those in the United States affected by the outbreak, and a subclass of parties in Florida affected by the outbreak.
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None of the plaintiffs have caught the coronavirus, but according to the pandemic class action lawsuit, they were still injured by the outbreak.
The coronavirus class action claims that people throughout the state of Florida, and people throughout the country were injured even if they have not been infected. They say the virus has taken an economic toll on the United States, and has caused panic, emotional distress and other injuries throughout the country.
Specifically, the plaintiffs have filed claims against the People’s Republic of China, the National Health Commission of the People’s Republic of China, Ministry of Emergency Management of the People’s Republic of China, the Ministry of Civil Affairs of the People’s Republic of China, the People’s Government of Hubei Province, and the People’s Government of City of Wuhan, China.
These governmental bodies were reportedly in charge of overseeing the response to the coronavirus pandemic in China, and within the city of Wuhan in the Hubei Province, where the outbreak originated.
The Floridians note that it has not been confirmed how the outbreak spread to what it is today, but regardless, the Chinese government did not handle the issue correctly. They also claim that their actions allowed many people around the world to be affected.
The coronavirus class action lawsuit states that a new strain of the virus, known as COVID-19 originated in China in December 2019, and quickly spread throughout the world.
The Floridians present one theory alleging that COVID-19 spread from a bio-weapon lab and then into a nearby marketplace. Allegedly, there are only two bio-weapon labs in the People’s Republic of China, and one of them is the National Biosafety Laboratory at the Wuhan Institute of Virology.
According to the coronavirus pandemic class action lawsuit, this laboratory is close to the marketplace where COVID-19 originated. This laboratory is reportedly China’s only “level 4” microbiology lab, dealing with “the deadliest of viruses.”
The COVID-19 outbreak states that one theory is that COVID-19 escaped from the Wuhan lab because of lax security, or because Chinese researchers unlawfully sold lab animals to the marketplace nearby.
Researchers in China have allegedly been known to do this instead of cremating them, as is required by Chinese law.
No matter how the disease spread, the Florida residents argue the Chinese government did not respond appropriately to the outbreak.
Allegedly, the government put the safety of people around the world at risk, choosing instead to act “from their own self interest” and to “protect their place as a super-power.”
The government did not report the outbreak as quickly as they could have, underreported cases, and did not contain the outbreak effectively, even though they knew how serious the outbreak was, the plaintiffs say.
Elaborating on these allegations, the Floridians argue that the Chinese government censored eight doctors on Jan. 1, 2020 from speaking about the outbreak and the danger associated with it. The coronavirus outbreak class action argues that even after the first person died of a COVID-19 infection on the same day, the government concealed the true dangers of the coronavirus.
The plaintiffs state that the Chinese government told the public the outbreak was under control. However, the government allegedly knew the virus was spread easily from human to human by Jan. 3 but concealed this information until Jan. 20, by which point the disease had already spread beyond China.
Chinese President Xi Jinping said he had taken measures to contain the virus on Jan. 7, but he reportedly lied in saying this, and did not take steps to contain the virus until later in the month.
Additionally, the Florida residents argue that the Chinese government waited 17 days to share the 19 genome sequence of coronavirus with peers around the world, after it had been discovered by Chinese researchers.
The plaintiffs claim that the Chinese government downplayed the severity of the virus by saying that deaths associated with coronavirus were instead caused by pneumonia.
The coronavirus response class action lawsuit says that this has caused injury to United States and potential Floridian Class Members not only in the form of infection by the virus, but in the form of fear, lost social contact, financial injury, emotional distress, and more.
The Class Members are represented by Matthew T. Moore and Vincent J. Duffy of The Law Offices of Berman & Berman PA.
The Coronavirus Outbreak Class Action Lawsuit is Logan Alters, et al. v. People’s Republic of China, et al., Case No. 1:20-cv-21108-UU, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, Miami Division.
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305 thoughts onCoronavirus Class Action Blames China for Pandemic
I have lost business during tax season as a tax preparer. I cannot Their negligence has effected my business and my family connections. I am now unable to travel to visit my new grand Daughter. Valuable bonding time being taken away. I am unable to protect myself from the virus because of the hoarding. My income is being affected yet I’m supposed to be able to afford normal living expenses and now covid supplies. This virus has made great impact on my and my family’s lives. They were responsible for this pandemic. China should not get away with affecting us and having no penalty. China’s lack of information and honesty is the direct cause of these expenses that should be compensated.
I started a small business in September. Exhibiting at trade shows. My first show was March 13th. We had everything set up and 2 hours before event started. It was cancelled over virus. April show will be cancelled too. I have worked 2 and 3 jobs preparing for this and spent a small fortune (Over $25,000). We put everthing on the line to get this buisiness up and running. Now trying to survive until our country is through this, is challenging at best. 1 of my jobs is at a grocery store. So at least I’m working, but am putting myself and family at risk. Due to all the panic shoppers going from store to store to get supplies. The workload and stress has tripled. The pay has not. I am over 55 and at higher risk. I really don’t appreciate the position I am forced into by all my choices being taken away from me. Darn if I do, Darn if I don’t.
I am self employed and lost my job because of this virus. I can’t collect unemployment because self employed businesses can’t collect. I have no income coming in right now and until this virus goes away I have no idea where I can get money to pay my bills. I clean houses and businesses which people are home now and clean their own houses and buildings are not dirty now bc people are working from home. I can’t see my family because of the quarantine and I fell like I am losing everything and one I love. Add me to the lawsuit.
I am self employed and lost my job because of this virus. I can’t collect unemployment because self employed businesses can’t collect. I have no income coming in right now and until this virus goes away I have no idea where I can get money to pay my bills. I clean houses and businesses which people are home now and clean their own houses and buildings are not dirty now bc people are working from home. I can’t see my family because of the quarantine and I fell like I am losing everything and one I love.
I became an owner of a small family business January 10, 2020 in the transportation industry. I had to spend a lot of money (thousands) in order to become a small business owner. I am the one who provides my for my family. My income is our only income. This virus has affected my family very hard we have suffered and continue to suffer. Our business has been wiped out before it had a chance to get started. China should have been transparent regarding this pandemic, it has touched or ruined people’s livelihood. I would like to sign up for the legal suit regarding the damages the China COVID-19 have caused.
I became deathly I’ll back in January, dry cough, headaches, my lungs hurt tremendously still to this day please add me ty
I am a Paraprofessional within the education system and because of COVID-19, the Cornavirus my state Board of Education decided that in the name of public safety closed all the schools. Originally this was to be until April 6, however it appears that it will be for the academic year. Meaning as a contract employee there is a strong chance I will not have an income. Thank you.
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I have lost my full time job until further noticed due to the Corona Virus from China. I work in a Rehabilitation Facility for the last 12 years and due to the outbreak we were all sent home to quarantine, we don’t know if the small businesses we work for would survive this shutdown, our main population is adults with surgery and special needs adult and children. we are a small company of about 30 employees which also provides home health to children with special needs. I was on the phone yesterday calling Florida Unemployment to obtain a pin # to be able to log in and after 4 hrs on hold the call drop. today I was up early before they open but still have not been able to get thru to file my claim. I was able to call Chase Bank and they grant me a 3 month extension on my car payment, my mortgage told me that the only thing they could do was a modification to my loan, I wonder how would even qualified if I have no income to report. my last check was on 3/20/2020 and I paid my mortgage, purchase some grocery’s, from all the disinfectant I’ve develop allergies, I’ve started to cleaning with water and vinegar, I also have many questions If no one is coming to your house do you still need to continue to disinfect? and why and how often, my throat cannot handle anymore cleaning. My son in law which is a first res-ponder with Miami Fire Department had to work two days without any mask, how could this be happening here in the united states of america, I can tell you moving forward will not buy anything made in china, and I am not a racist person but they need to be accountable for all the lives that are being lost each day, all the pain and suffering going around the whole globe due to them. God Bless the USA!
Corona virus pandemic has put a strain on me and my family. My daughter is in college, which has shut down and works in a restaurant that’s shut down. I’ve had to support her during this time where we have quarantined to my house.