If you carried on business in Victoria in 2020, please read this notice carefully as it may affect your legal rights.
What is the Hotel Quarantine (Business Loss) Class Action Lawsuit?
The class action lawsuit seeks damages for damages suffered by the retail industry as a result of the “second wave” lockdowns that occurred in Victoria between July and October 2020. Plaintiffs allege that the lockdowns were the result of negligence in the hotel quarantine program.
Are you a member of the class?
You are a member of a class if all three of the following conditions are met:
- On 1 July 2020, it operated a retail business that offered goods or services to the public from a physical premises located in Victoria. and
- The public went to the business's physical premises to obtain those goods or services. and
- As a result of the Stage 3 and Stage 4 restrictions implemented in Melbourne and parts of Victoria between July and October 2020, your business premises were forced to close or operate on a reduced scale and/or members of the public were restricted or prohibited from visiting your business premises, which caused you financial loss.
A full definition of Class Members is set out in paragraph 1 of Plaintiffs' Amended Demand Letter, a copy of which is available at https://www.supremecourt.vic.gov.au/sites/default/files/2023-08/5%20Boroughs%20ASOC.pdf .
Class Action Deadline
The Court issued the following orders:
- In the Hotel Quarantine Class Action Settlement agreed between the Plaintiffs and Defendants in mediation in November 2024, anyone who wishes to make a claim for damages suffered as a result of the Defendants' actions must complete a registration form. 8 July 2024, 4pm AEST(A copy of the registration form is available online at https://intake.sedgwick.com/u/QE/QE-Qualifying ).
- If you do not want to be part of the class action, you must opt out of the class action. 8 July 2024, 4pm AEST.
If you do not take any action in response to this Notice (i.e., if you do not register by the deadline or opt out of the Class Action), you will not be entitled to any compensation from this Class Action if the case is settled in arbitration in November 2024, even if you have an eligible claim, but you will be bound by the Settlement, including terms that release Defendants from liability for matters related to or similar to the claims that are the subject of the Class Action, notwithstanding your ineligibility to participate in the Settlement.
If you have previously registered your interest in a claim by completing the registration form on the Plaintiffs' Attorney (Quinn Emanuel) website, you do not need to register again, but you may be contacted by a Quinn Emanuel representative to verify that you have provided all of the necessary information to become a registered group member.
For more information
If you believe you may be a class member, it is important that you read the further information available at https://hotelquarantineclassaction.com.au/ as soon as possible as it may affect your legal rights.
