COVID-19

Recent Federal Decision Regarding Business Interruption Insurance Could Mark a Turning Point for COVID-Affected Businesses (Updated 9/29/2020)

Published: September 22, 2020

by Josiah M. Prendergast, Mark E. Ellinghouse
Real Estate Legal Updates

Many businesses affected by COVID-19 and the related shelter-in-place orders are turning to their business interruption insurance policies in hope of finding relief. In general terms, a business interruption insurance policy replaces some or all of a business’s income when the business is forced to curtail or cease its operations as the result of a disaster. In the vast majority of cases, insurance companies have turned away COVID-related business interruption claims, claiming that these policies do not provide coverage for COVID-related claims. Rather than fight with insurance companies, many business owners elect to focus their efforts on other forms of relief, including PPP loans and other forms of public assistance. But some, like the owner of the world-renowned Napa Valley restaurant The French Laundry, have sued to enforce their business interruption insurance policies.

Policy holders contend that their business interruption policies were written as part of “all-risk” property insurance coverages, which are designed to comprehensively protect against all risks except those expressly excluded under the policy terms. The insurance companies’ argument is based on a common policy term referring to “physical damage or loss” as the trigger for business interruption coverage. Insurance companies argue that this term means that coverage exists only where the business has suffered physical damage or physical loss, such as in the case of a fire or a storm—actual, tangible, physical alteration of the business’s property. Under the insurers’ interpretation, no coverage exists because COVID-19 and its effects did not cause physical damage or alteration to the policy holder’s property.

In what policy holders hope marks the start of a growing trend, one federal court in Missouri preliminarily ruled in favor of the insured businesses and against the insurance companies. The case, Studio 417, Inc. v. The Cincinnati Ins. Co. (“Studio 417”),[1] involved a collection of salon and restaurant owners whose business interruption claims were rejected by their insurer based on the physical damage or loss argument. After the businesses filed suit, the insurer brought a motion to dismiss their claims on the grounds that the business interruption policies in place did not afford protection under the express policy terms and applicable law.

The court ruled in favor of the policy holders, finding that they had adequately alleged facts that established coverage and that, based on those allegations, the insurance company wrongfully denied coverage. The court’s reasoning focused on the policies’ “physical damage or loss” triggering language. The court found that the word “or” was meaningful, that it differentiates between the concept of “physical damage” and “physical loss,” and that the business owners need only allege that they had incurred either physical damage or loss to qualify for coverage. The court reasoned that the insurance company’s reading of the policy terms would effectively merge the concepts of “physical damage” and “physical loss,” making the “physical loss” policy term superfluous and meaningless.

Noting that the policy did not specifically define the terms “physical damage” and “physical loss,” the court relied on the plain meaning of those terms, finding that physical loss exists when property is taken from one’s possession or when a business is prevented from using the property. Based on this reading of the policies, the court found that the businesses alleged facts establishing coverage because the COVID-19 virus is a physical substance that rendered the business locations unsafe and, coupled with the government orders, rendered their locations unusable. The alleged presence of the COVID-19 virus onsite was key to the Studio 417 decision.

It is important to note that the Studio 417 decision is not a final determination on the merits of the claims—it merely resolved a motion to dismiss, which is a preliminary motion where the court accepts the plaintiffs’ factual allegations as true and deals only with matters of law. The plaintiffs will still need to prove their claims at trial, which the insurer will undoubtedly defend vigorously. The Studio 417 decision is meaningful, however, because it preliminarily establishes as a matter of law what the business interruption policy terms mean. The burden will be on the plaintiffs to prove the facts establishing “physical loss.”

It is also important to recognize that the Studio 417 decision may not necessarily have far-reaching impact. Although it is a federal court decision, Studio 417 was decided based on Missouri state law; the decision is not binding nationwide. In fact, federal court determinations of state law are not even binding on the Missouri state courts. Studio 417 was, however, recently cited with apparent approval by a federal court in California confronted with similar issues. In that case, Mudpie Inc. v. Travelers Cas. Ins. Co. (“Mudpie”),[2] a similar set of plaintiffs brought a claim for coverage under their business interruption insurance policies. Unlike in Studio 417, the court in California found that the plaintiffs did not allege sufficient facts to establish a claim in Mudpie. But the court gave the plaintiffs an opportunity to amend their claims—to add factual allegations—which indicates the court’s implicit recognition that a COVID-related claim, if based on the right facts, could trigger coverage under a business interruption policy in California.[3]

For business owners who had largely written off the availability of business interruption coverage for relief, Studio 417 presents a ray of hope and potential lifeline for their struggling businesses. The Studio 417 decision might also provide a roadmap for policy holders considering litigation to enforce their policy rights. As federal and local assistance programs wind down and the true effects of the COVID-19 health crisis begin to have more widespread, potentially catastrophic effect, Studio 417 could signal an inclination for courts to find coverage for insured businesses. If such a trend develops, insurance companies will undoubtedly be more inclined to provide or, at least negotiate, some level of relief for their insureds.

It goes without saying that a trend toward enforcing coverage could mean the difference between the success or failure of many businesses. But the implications of coverage are far-reaching, impacting vendors who work with those businesses, landlords whose properties house those businesses, and the development of policy terms going forward. Policyholders are encouraged to resubmit their claims for coverage and monitor the progress of cases in their state to determine whether Studio 417 represents a positive bellwether or merely a mirage. Policyholders should also be on the lookout for changes in policy terms, such as new defined terms, as their policies come up for renewal.

For assistance with reviewing your business interruption policies and other available forms of relief, and/or the effect on your existing obligations, please contact the attorneys at Weintraub Tobin.