NY Court of Appeals Issues Two Major COVID-19 Decisions

On November 24, 2025, the New York Court of Appeals issued two decisions that clarify the standards governing workers’ compensation claims arising from COVID-19. In Matter of McLaurin v. New York City Tr. Auth., 2025 N.Y. LEXIS 1918, 2025 NY Slip Op 06529 (Nov. 24, 2025), a deeply-divided Court addressed the compensability of psychological injuries allegedly resulting from pandemic-related working conditions, with the majority finding that such injuries are not “accidental” where claimants do not demonstrate stress grater than similarly situated workers faced. In Matter of Aungst v. Family Dollar, 2025 N.Y. LEXIS 1917 (Nov. 24, 2025), the Court unanimously upheld the Workers’ Compensation Board’s framework for evaluating physical COVID-19 infection claims.