Aside from the loss of life, the largest danger to business's in states where they open too early...

[Xolodno]

...they may not be indemnified. Property and Casualty Insurance companies and other Liability Insurance providers are going to classify the Pandemic as an "Act of God", and thus, no coverage when they get sued in a civil suit. And boom, bankrupt.

This will no doubt go all the way to the Supreme Court...but in that time, many small business's will drop their suit as they won't have the resources....or lawyers realize the class action suit is doomed.

Add insult to injury, the Presidents own statements vs. Science will undermine a shit load of claims.

[scarletwoman]

1. Please, the plural of business is businesses.

Other than that, you make an interesting point.

[Xolodno]

3. Sorry, second glass of wine.

[flying_wahini]

2. Yes, I think that Act of God will be the only leg they can /will stand on.

[BamaRefugee]

4. Lawsuits are going to EXPLODE. Businesses are legally required to provide a safe working environment

Without daily testing of every employee, constant cleaning and disinfecting of the workplace, providing proper safety equipment to employees....as soon as a few people get sick, or God forbid some die, lots and lots of workers will be lawyering up.

The pandemic may be an act of God, but opening and running an unsafe workplace is the personal choice of the owner and the management team. And it's NOT the responsibility of workers to determine that a place is safe.

This doesn't even cover patrons of a restaurant, bar, or some other establishment who fall ill from utilizing the businesses' services. Those will be big lawsuits too.

[Xolodno]

5. I work for an Insurance Company...

...you can bet none of the offices will open until they view it absolutely safe and keep people at home working (the industry as a whole has to be able to work despite catastrophe's). We're already being told to kiss the month of May goodbye and the optimistic view is June, voluntarily. Plus if we do open early, it could be construed as the company believing the pandemic is over...which won't work too well in courts.

And are emailing and advising their business policy holders to do the same. They violate that...then your screwed, the "Act of God" provision is fairly loose from previous court decisions. In other words, if the courts think the lawsuits can take down several insurance companies or harm it in general...they will side with the insurance companies as they never anticipated this as a covered loss.

And after we get through this, expect "Pandemic's" as an excluded loss officially. Until...

Flip side of that, just like after 9/11 the Federal Government put in a mandated Terrorism coverage, expect a mandated Pandemic Coverage....and of course, its going to cost you.

Long story short, for your average business owner, open too soon...you very well could be going to BK.