The Northern District of Ohio Provides More Clarity On COVID19 Related Business Interruption Claims | Ulmer & Berne LLP jdsupra.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from jdsupra.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Tuesday, January 26, 2021
Two federal cases in the Northern District of Ohio recently reached very different conclusions on whether the state’s COVID-19 shutdowns of restaurants permit valid claims for business interruption insurance coverage. Reviewing essentially the same facts and policy provisions, one court found for the insurer, holding no coverage to exist. The other found for the policyholder, awarding coverage. The opposite results will no doubt lead to further upcoming appellate activity in Ohio. The reasoning in these cases may also lead to further clarifications in Ohio about the rules for interpreting insurance policies.
A.
1:20-CV-01192
In
Santo’s case, Judge Pamela Barker dismissed the policyholder’s claims for business interruption coverage on two main grounds. First, the court found: (a) Santo’s failed to plead a threshold claim of “direct physical loss of or damage to” its insured premises, given the absence of any alleged “tangible�
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The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the United States economy in a profoundly negative manner. Retail stores, restaurants and other direct-customer-facing businesses have been especially hard hit. Throughout the U.S., most states and municipalities have at various points throughout the pandemic issued “shut down” orders to businesses in order to mitigate the spread of the virus. Businesses complied and suffered tremendous losses as a result. As we forecasted, many businesses subsequently filed claims with their commercial liability insurers, typically claiming that their losses are covered under the “business interruption” or the “civil authority” provisions of their policies. Those provisions are generally intended to provide coverage as follows: