Thousands of Americans have reportedly signed onto a class-action lawsuit in the US state of Florida which seeks compensation from the Chinese Government for COVID-19 damages, as Western politicians increasingly call for accountability.
According to a statement from the Miami-based Berman Law Group, the lawsuit "seeks billions of dollars in compensatory damages for those who have suffered personal injuries, wrongful deaths, property damage and other damages due to China's failure to contain the COVID-19 virus, despite their ability to have stopped the spread of the virus in its early stages".The firm said it "looks forward to fighting for the rights of people and businesses across Florida and the rest of the country, who are now becoming sick or caring for loved ones, dealing with financial calamity, and navigating this new world of panic and social distancing and isolation".
The US has by far the world's largest number of confirmed coronavirus cases, with more than 740,000 infections and more than 41,000 deaths.
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| Breaking News - Thousands Of Americans Sign Up To US Class Action To Sue China Over Coronavirus |
A separate class action lodged on behalf of Las Vegas businesses is seeking billions of dollars in damages on behalf of five local businesses.
The lawsuit claims that China's Government should have shared more information about the virus but intimidated doctors, scientists, journalists and lawyers while allowing the COVID-19 respiratory illness to spread.
The Chinese Government has repeatedly denied suppressing information in the early days of the crisis, saying it immediately reported the outbreak to the World Health Organisation (WHO).
Experts say that China's rigid controls on information, bureaucratic hurdles and a reluctance to send bad news up the chain of command muffled early warnings.
Source: www.abc.net.au
