business interruption insurance – Coronavirus (COVID-19)

November 20, 2021January 10, 2022 by Duane Morris

The Inns by the Sea California Court of Appeal Decision Give Insurers Another Win on COVID-19 Business Interruption Claims

The first California state appellate decision on COVID-19 Business Interruption coverage is now in the books, and it’s one more victory for insurers. In The Inns by the Sea v. California Mutual Ins. Co., Case No. D079036 (Cal. Ct. App. 4th Dist., Div. 1, Nov. 15, 2021), the California Court of Appeal for the Fourth District found there was no coverage, notwithstanding the absence of a virus exclusion in the relevant policy. The court’s 36-page opinion provides a thorough and careful analysis of several important COVID-19-related business interruption issues.

To read the full text of this post by Duane Morris attorneys Max H. Stern and Holden Benon, please visit the Duane Morris Insurance Law Blog.

May 18, 2020September 3, 2020 by Duane Morris

Insurance Industry Prevails in Decision on COVID Losses for Business Interruption Before the Pennsylvania Supreme Court

In the bellwether case of Joseph Tambellini, Inc. v. Erie Insurance Exchange, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court was petitioned under its King’s Bench powers to assume plenary jurisdiction of an insurance coverage dispute that had been filed in the Court of Common Pleas, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. The high court was asked to decide critical legal issues that would have impacted thousands of other insurance claims that might arise in the future from the COVID-19 pandemic. Duane Morris was retained by insurer trade associations, including APCIA, NAMIC, PAMIC, and the Insurance Federation of Pennsylvania (the “Insurance Industry Amici”), to oppose this extraordinary petition.

To read the full text of this post by Duane Morris partner Damon Vocke, please visit the Duane Morris Insurance Law Blog.

May 13, 2020September 3, 2020 by Duane Morris

Congressional Efforts to Compel Coronavirus Business Interruption Insurance

We previously wrote about the growing number of lawsuits by insureds seeking business interruption insurance coverage for business losses in response to the novel coronavirus (here and here), and the constraints that state and federal governments should face were they to compel such coverage. We also previously detailed nationwide efforts aimed at enacting legislation compelling business interruption and contingent business interruption insurance for COVID-19 losses. As of the date of this update, eight states have proposed a number of bills relating to business interruption insurance, and Congress has also waded in.

To read the full text of this post by Duane Morris attorneys Dominica C. Anderson, Philip R. Matthews and Daniel B. Heidtke, please visit the Duane Morris Insurance Law Blog.

April 16, 2020September 3, 2020 by Duane Morris

Coronavirus Business Interruption Insurance Coverage Proposed by Congress

Legislators continue their efforts to address the enormous cost of business continuity losses. Most recently, Representative Mike Thompson of California, introduced H.R.6494, labeled the “Business Interruption Insurance Coverage Act of 2020”.

To read the full text of this post by Duane Morris attorney Daniel Heidtke, please visit the Duane Morris Insurance Law Blog.

April 14, 2020September 1, 2020 by Duane Morris

Efforts by Lawmakers Continuing to Compel Coronavirus Business Interruption Insurance

The potential cost of business continuity losses is enormous. The Congressional Research Service issued a report to Congress on the financial impact to insurers for the cost of covering business interruption claims. The report explains that some industry sources estimate that the cost of covering business interruption claims ranges from $110 billion to $290 billion per month. In a more recent letter, insurance industry leaders explained, “recent estimates show that business continuity losses just for small businesses of 100 or fewer employees could amount to between $220 billion to $383 billion per month. Meanwhile, the total surplus for all of the U.S. home, auto, and business insurers combined to pay all future losses is only $800 billion.”

To read the full text of this post by Dominica Anderson, Philip Matthews and Daniel Heidtke, please visit the Duane Morris Insurance Law Blog.