Businesses forced closed by COVID-19 and denied coverage by their insurers received a legal boost this month. In a recent North Carolina ruling, the court held that a commonly worded business interruption policy covered losses arising from closures mandated by COVID-19.
Continue Reading Court Finds Coverage for Restaurants’ COVID-19 Business Interruption Claims
As the year goes on, state and federal trial courts will continue to tackle legal issues brought on by COVID-19. One recent decision comes from the Middle District of Florida, which recently granted an insurance carrier’s Motion to Dismiss a dental practice’s Complaint brought under the business income and civil authority provisions of the policy.
Continue Reading Trial Court Grants Motion to Dismiss Complaint Based on Virus Exclusion in Policy
Note: This guest post is by Kevin Dandridge, certified OSHA instructor and owner of 1 Life Safety. He has certifications in OSHA 500, Asbestos, Lead, CFM, NFPA 70 arc Flash Instruction, disaster worker instruction, MEWP, scissor lift, forklift, and First Aid/CPR/AED instruction, as well as others.
Good morning. I hope you and your workers are doing the absolute best to stay safe during the current pandemic. Also, OSHA has released another mandate for staying safe during the crisis.
Continue Reading OSHA Compliance in a Pandemic World
My husband and I moved from New York City to Florida. Almost every summer we traveled back to New York for wedding season and this summer was no different for us. Just as the wedding season is getting into full swing, so are event cancellations due to COVID-19 pandemic. Last weekend alone, I received several calls from friends and family cancelling their weddings and baby showers until the COVID-19 outbreak has subsided. The novel coronavirus has caused major events around the world to be cancelled or postponed, further exacerbating the economic hardship.
Continue Reading Tis the Season – Cancelled Due To COVID-19!
California Congressman Mike Thompson has filed a bill to help some business owners with business income policies collect benefits for Covid-19-related losses from their insurers.1 Here is a quote from Representative Thompson’s press release explaining his reasons for filing this federal legislation:
Continue Reading Will Recently Filed Federal Legislation for the Covid Closed Business Policyholder Have A Possibility Of Passage?
For anyone following the daily flood of developments regarding business interruption and COVID-19, insurance commentator Bill Wilson is a good source to read and follow. Astutely, his website is www.insurancecommentary.com. Mr. Wilson’s newest post, It’s Not Just About ‘Direct Physical Damage’,1 raises interesting new arguments about Civil Authority claims – a sub-coverage within business interruption. He breaks down some factors that lean both for and against civil authority coverage for COVID-19 claims based on some interesting historical research.
Continue Reading Bill Wilson’s New Commentary on ISO Civil Authority policies and Covid-19 Provides Great Fodder for Debate
With COVID-19 business closures, legislatures across the country have been grappling with new questions, including what protections may be afforded by business income insurance. As of late, members of legislatures in states like New York1 and Pennsylvania2 have all proposed legislation in favor of affording coverage for claims that might otherwise be excluded. While these bills have not passed, they may offer some indication about what legal issues could arise in the future.3
Continue Reading State Legislatures Aim to Afford COVID-19 Coverage
A number of federal class action cases involving businesses shut down from the COVID-19 crisis have resulted in requests for federal cases to be consolidated to one court The Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation will decide if that will happen.
Continue Reading What is Multidistrict Litigation (MDL) and Will It Impact Virus Business Income Claims?
The litigation trickle regarding coronavirus coverage issues is turning into a flood as lawsuits seem to be filed every day and in many different jurisdictions. United Policyholders has established a COCID-19 Loss Recovery Advisory Team which included a stellar panel of insurance attorneys including Merlin Law Group attorney Ed Eshoo:
COVID-19 Loss Recovery Advisory Team
John Buchanan, Covington & Burling (DC)
John Ellison, Reed Smith (PA)
Edward Eshoo, Merlin Law Group (IL)
Peter Kochenburger, UConn School of Law (CT)
Lorelie S. Masters, Hunton Andrews Kurth (DC)
Jason Mazer, Cimo Mazer Mark (FL)
Sherilyn Pastor, McCarter & English, (NJ)
Holly Soffer, Kellis Soffer, Counsel to the American Association of Public Insurance Adjusters (PA)
Continue Reading United Policyholders in the Lead Regarding Education of COVID-19 Loss Recovery and For Policyholders
As proof that I try to be fair and balanced, a big BRAVO! to all the insurance companies who recognize that those doing automobile repairs deserve a safe working environment. The vast majority of all the insurance companies are paying the extra costs to sanitize automobiles from the coronavirus before repair.
Continue Reading Safeco and Geico Put Money Over Car Repairmen’s Safety When It Comes to COVID-19