Insurers COVID-19 Notepad: What You Need to Know Now (Week of June 14) | All Alerts & Newsletters crowell.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from crowell.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
May.24.2021
Courts Dismiss COVID-19 Business Interruption Claims
On May 13, 2021, the district court for the Northern District of Georgia granted American Family Insurance Company’s and Midvale Indemnity Company’s motion to dismiss a COVID-19 business interruption claim filed by the operators of two barbeque restaurants. The court concluded that the plain meaning of the phrase “direct physical loss” requires that there be “actual, physical damage to the covered premises” and the plaintiffs failed to allege any change to the physical condition of property due to COVID-19 closure orders. Order at 11. The court further found that the policy’s unambiguous virus exclusion bars coverage because the plaintiffs “claim no losses that were not caused, at least indirectly, by the virus.”
May.18.2021
Courts Dismiss COVID-19 Business Interruption Claims
On May 7, 2021, the district court for the Northern District of Illinois granted Westfield National Insurance Company’s motion to dismiss a Chicago bakery and a salon’s complaint alleging coronavirus-related business interruption losses. Determining the virus exclusion unambiguously bars coverage for loss indirectly caused by the coronavirus, the court found meritless the plaintiffs’ argument that the government closure orders, rather than the virus, caused their losses. Order at 7-8. Including the virus exclusion within the policy “undercuts” any argument “that Westfield unjustifiably denied” their claims.
Id. at 10.
On May 10, 2021, the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois granted with prejudice Motorists Commercial Mutual Insurance Company’s motion to dismiss a COVID-19 business interruption claim filed by the operator of automobile dealerships and repair shops. The court found that business in
Apr.12.2021
Courts Dismiss COVID-19 Business Interruption Claims
On April 9, 2021, the district court for the Central District of California granted Topa Insurance Company’s motion to dismiss a restaurant and nightclub’s COVID-19 related claim. According to the court, the policy “clearly condition[ed] recovery on physical loss or damage to the insured premises” (Order at 5), and the complaint alleged only that the coronavirus “prevented it from using its property for” its intended purpose, which is not enough to “allege direct physical loss or damage.”
Id. at 6. The court held that “even if the Policy covered permanent dispossession, which it does not, Caribe has not alleged permanent dispossession, nor could it, as COVID-19 safety orders only temporarily restricted Caribe’s use of its premises.”
Mar.15.2021
Courts Dismiss COVID-19 Business Interruption Claims
On March 8, 2021, the district court for the Southern District of California granted Travelers Property Casualty Company of America’s motion to dismiss a flower importer and distributor’s COVID-19 extra expense claim. The court found that the policy’s Acts or Decisions Exclusion which “bars coverage for property damage, loss, and expense that is caused by or results from any decision, act or failure to act or decide, by…any ‘governmental body,’” unambiguously excluded coverage.
See Order at 13. Because Travelers based its denial of coverage on the applicable exclusion, the court similarly dismissed the plaintiff’s breach of implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing claim.