What happened
The U.S. Supreme Court on Dec. 8 reversed a Louisiana appellate ruling that had used a state public-health emergency immunity law to bar a plaintiff's federal claims against a physical therapy provider.
In a short per curiam opinion, the justices said Louisiana may define the scope of liability under state law, but that authority does not extend to wiping out federal causes of action. The Court said "a State has no power to confer immunity from federal causes of action," pointing to the Supremacy Clause and prior high court decisions on state courts' obligation to enforce federal law.
The case arose after the Louisiana Court of Appeal held that a state statute immunizing healthcare providers from civil liability during public health emergencies barred the plaintiff's federal claims. The Louisiana Supreme Court later denied review, according to the opinion.
The high court did not decide whether the federal claims ultimately survive. The opinion said those claims may fail on other federal grounds, but that question is for the Louisiana courts to address first.
The Court granted certiorari, reversed the Louisiana Court of Appeal's judgment and remanded the case for further proceedings consistent with the opinion. For lawyers, the decision is a pointed reminder that state emergency-liability protections may shape state-law exposure, but cannot by themselves extinguish federal claims.