Her Husband Got Covid-19. She’s Suing His Employer.

Suppose your spouse gets Covid-19 at work — and you get it from your spouse. Can you sue your spouse’s employer for the harm that you’ve suffered? That’s the question raised by a lawsuit recently filed in federal court in California — and the outcome may matter a lot.

Corby Kuciemba argues that her husband got sick when his employer, Victory Woodworks, moved workers to a new site, allegedly in violation of safety protocols. The couple both tested positive in mid-July, and Corby Kuciemba, who is 65 and described in the lawsuit as “a high risk individual due to her age and health,” had a particularly severe case and spent weeks on a ventilator. The question is whether, in allowing the husband to contract Covid-19, the employer violated a duty not only to an employee, but also to the employee’s spouse.