Staffers allege that employer ignored COVID precautions

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A Massachusetts man claims that a national addiction treatment program failed to take precautions to protect him, fellow staff members, as well as residential clients from COVID-19 infection.

The Berkshire Eagle reports that Stephen Seward and four co-workers filed a lawsuit in Hampshire Superior Court against Vertava Health LLC alleging that prior to February 2021 the company had no clear protocols on how to prevent or manage a COVID-19 outbreak.

A Vertava executive declined to comment on the lawsuit and said that the company is “committed to the safety and well-being of our staff and maintaining the highest level of quality and care for our patients.”