All lawsuits dropped in Austrian ski resort COVID-19 outbreak
Aug 24, 2023
Vienna [Austria], August 24: In the wake of a decision by Austria's Supreme Court of Justice, all 130 individual lawsuits and a class action lawsuit against state authorities for allegedly failing to
safeguard holidaymakers at a well-known ski resort from the Coronavirus have been withdrawn.
A court spokeswoman confirmed earlier media reports, the Austrian news agency APA reported on Wednesday.
The lawsuits were about possible official failures in the spread of the Coronavirus during the pandemic.
Austria's Ischgl resort in Tirol, known for its apres-ski parties, was considered a hotspot for the spread of the virus in parts of Europe in March 2020.
The authorities claim to have acted responsibly given what was known at the time.
But the plaintiffs saw a failure on the part of
the authorities to warn of the danger of the virus.
In June, the Supreme Court of Justice sided with a lower court in ruling that authorities in Tirol could not be held liable for the damages demanded by ski tourists who fell ill.
Austria's Consumer Protection Association (VSV), which had filed the class action lawsuit against Austrian authorities, now wants to try to file a test lawsuit in one case, VSV chairman Peter Kolba said on Wednesday.
Should this be successful in the end, around 50 cases could be reopened.
Source: Qatar Tribune
