The outbreak of COVID-19 has spawned a number of recent lawsuits by policyholders seeking business interruption coverage for losses resulting from closure orders issued by government officials. Below is a list of several such lawsuits filed to date.
- Cajun Conti, LLC v. Certain Underwriters at Lloyd’s London (restaurant seeks declaration that “because the policy provided by Lloyd’s does not contain an exclusion for a viral pandemic, the policy provides coverage to plaintiffs for any future civil authority shutdowns of restaurants in the New Orleans area due to physical loss from Coronavirus contamination.”)
- French Laundry Partners, LP et al. v. Hartford Fire Insurance Co. et al. (restaurants seek business income and extra expense coverage for losses due to closure orders under policies that allegedly do not contain an exclusion for a viral pandemic).
- Big Onion Tavern Group, LLC et al. v. Society Insurance Company (owners and operators of restaurants and movie theatres allege insurer issued “blanket denials…often within hours of receiving Plaintiffs’ claims – without first conducting any meaningful coverage investigation . . .”)
- Billy Goat Tavern I et al. v. Society Insurance (restaurant groups seek coverage for losses as a result of closure orders under policies that allegedly do not contain virus exclusion).
- Barbara Lane Snowden DBA Hair Goals Club v. Twin City Fire Insurance Company (alleging insurer wrongfully denied insured’s business interruption claim and failed to reasonably investigate plaintiff’s business interruption claim).
- Prime Time Sports Bar v. Certain Underwriters at Lloyd’s London (bar/restaurant seeks declaratory judgment that its policy affords coverage for losses due to governmental suspension of its business as a result of COVID-19).
