Government’s care home Covid failings ‘opens door’ to compensation claims, lawyers say

‘It is likely that the court’s decision will open the door to families to seek compensation for injuries suffered as a consequence of the inadequate policies,’ says lawyer

Cathy Gardner brought a successful case against the government after her father passed away (PA)

A landmark High Court judgment that the government failed to protect care home residents from Covid “opens the door” to compensation claims by victims’ families, lawyers say.

The government is likely to face further claims related to its mishandling of Covid-19, legal experts warn after a court ruled that it was unlawful for untested hospital patients to be discharged into care homes at the beginning of the pandemic.

Wednesday’s ruling disproved the claim by former health secretary Matt Hancock that a “protective ring” had been thrown around society’s most vulnerable during the pandemic, families say.