On March 20, Matthew Daus and the Windels Marx transportation group’s team of legal and policy experts held a free webinar that covered the following topics:
- The State of the Ground Transportation Industry Amid the Corona Virus Outbreak (Ridership Trends, Economic Impacts, Regulatory Issues & What Taxicab, Livery, Black Car, Limousine, Bus/Motor Coach, Tourism Transport, Transportation Network Company, Paratransit and other Modes are Doing to Protect their Workers & Businesses)
- Risk Management for Transportation Companies to Avoid COVID-19 Related Claims & Lawsuits (Negligence & Torts, Workers’ Compensation, OSHA, Employment Discrimination, TLC Violations, Worker Classification, Civil Rights & Human Rights, FMLA, ADA, FMCSA)
- Emergency Assistance Loans & Grants (SBS loans, grants and other benefits authorized by legislation to help companies and workers cope with the economic impact of the crisis)
The firm prepared a comprehensive set of resources and general advice as businesses develop and implement policies, or respond to incidents, with an emphasis on transportation companies’ unique operations, including the following:
- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) can be found at: https://www.docdroid.net/T3QjRBk/faqs-by-transportation-companies-about-covid-19-11794446.pdf.
- A COVID-19 Resource List for Transportation Companies, which lists a compilation of websites and materials for updates and answers can be found here: https://www.docdroid.net/dbIiX2R/covid-19-resources-guide-for-transportation-companies-11794447.pdf.
- A Legal Liability & Risk Management Checklist – that helps companies ensure that policies, practices and procedures to mitigate liability are in place – is found here: https://www.docdroid.net/osAvYox/covid-19-risk-management-checklist-for-transportation-companies-11794443.pdf.
“Everyone in the transportation sector is swiftly trying to determine how they should handle and deal with the impact of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) on their businesses, including: ensuring the health and safety of employees, drivers, passengers; risk management measures to avoid liability; and how to triage policies and business decisions in light of the immediate and impending severe economic impact of this pandemic,” said Daus, Windels Marx Partner & Transportation Practice Chair. “COVID-19 reactions, facts, policies and the true extent of the threat are a constantly moving target, changing day-by-day.”
Daus recommends that each company “take specific and general precautions, first and foremost for the well-being of customers, employees and independent contractor partners, while at the same time preparing for further disruption and acting to reduce potential liability. If precautions are not taken, there may be an increased risk to passengers due to the confines of smaller vehicles, or in buses which carry many passengers, or for Non-Emergency Medical Transport (NEMT), where there are particularly vulnerable passengers involved.”
Mr. Daus can be reached directly at 212-237-1106 or mdaus@windelsmarx.com.
