The COVID state of emergency in North Carolina offered temporary protections to health care facilities and providers. In August, North Carolina’s COVD state of emergency expired, removing the COVID immunity health care protection, which gave health care facilities and workers immunity from malpractice claims brought during that time.
When the federal state of emergency was declared in early 2020, the Federal Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness Act was enacted, giving protection to health care workers from liability for administering COVID-19 vaccines, tests, and drugs.
North Carolina’s state of emergency went a step further and shielded from lawsuits that could arise from inadequate staffing and supplies.
Now that the state of emergency has expired, could this mean an uptick in medical malpractice cases in North Carolina? Some legal experts believe it will.
To find out why and the latest on Federal protections click here.