Supreme Court Declines Cuomo Nursing Home Wrongful Death Case Appeal
The US Supreme Court declined to hear a wrongful death lawsuit seeking to hold ex-Gov. Andrew Cuomo responsible for COVID-19 nursing home deaths. The justices declined to take up the appeal, leaving in place lower court rulings and preventing the case from advancing to the nation's highest court. Plaintiffs had argued that Cuomo's policies during the early COVID-19 pandemic contributed to nursing home fatalities, while supporters of Cuomo said the claims were legally unfounded.
A Supreme Court denial of review does not decide the underlying merits, meaning courts below still control the legal record and any factual findings remain unchanged. The decision removes a high-profile opportunity to address at the national level how executive public-health directives interact with wrongful death claims arising from pandemic responses.
đ Key Facts
- The U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal in a wrongful death case against former Gov. Andrew Cuomo over COVID-era nursing home orders.
- Plaintiff Daniel Arbeeny sued Cuomo and then-Health Commissioner Howard Zucker, but lower courts dismissed the case on qualified immunity grounds.
- Cuomo's spokesman cited multiple investigations, including by the DOJ, the New York County district attorney, and the state attorney general, as having found his guidance consistent with federal policy.
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