Coronavirus has changed a lot about the way we live our lives. Bridgewater, New Jersey-based lawyers DSS Law Firm says that a consequence of the pandemic is an overall fall in the number of accident claims.
According to research conducted by our sources at DSS Law Firm, the number of accident claims has fallen dramatically since much of the Western world entered lockdown back in March/April.
However, they are cautioning that this is unlikely to last forever and the legal industry expects numbers to return to pre-pandemic levels in due course.
Lockdown Means Lower Work Accident Rates
With the vast majority of businesses sustaining significant disruption and sending their workers home, the lockdown has meant that most American workers are staying home. This has meant there are fewer opportunities for accidents to occur, which means fewer cases.
DSS Law Firm states that more and more companies are opting for remote working. By keeping their employees away from the office, the chances of an accident happening are reduced to nearly zero.
Many employers may even see the results of the lockdown as a reason to promote the idea of remote working permanently. Companies may be trying remote working for the first time and may discover that lower work accident rates are a good reason to continue the practice.
Fewer People on the Roads of the US
With many venues still closed and people working from home, there are simply fewer people on the roads of the US. Back in April, insurer Allstate refunded $600 million in insurance premiums.
So many Americans had nowhere to go, and so they stayed home. DSS Law explains that for years the increasing number of accidents has been blamed on more people on the roads than at any other point in history.
On the other hand, these Bridgewater lawyers are cautioning that as the US reopens, the number of accident claims will rise again.
A New Type of Personal Accident Claim
Despite the fact we’ve seen a major dip in the number of new personal accident claims filed, DSS Law Firm says there’s been a significant rise in the number of employees suing their employers because of coronavirus.
This new type of case will determine whether a new legal precedent is set with regards to the spread of disease. Although no new rulings have been made, employers may find that they’re legally responsible if their employees contract the virus at work.
Lawyers Are Still Busy
It’s clear that just because the number of new cases has fallen dramatically it doesn’t mean that the legal industry has nothing to do all day. You can click here to read more about the work DSS Law Firm is carrying out during the pandemic.
For a long time, court appearances were impossible due to the virus. This led to thousands of cases being put on hold. Courts are only just now beginning to work through the backlog of cases held up by the virus.
It’s estimated that once states reopen fully, it could take months or even years to finally get back to normal.