Tag archives: Business interruption

Business interruption insurance: commencement of the Indemnity Period (UK)

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In this English court judgment, the parties were in dispute whether the Indemnity Period begins with the commencement of the interruption or interference with the insured business or with the occurrence of the Covered Event. The definition of Indemnity Period in the policy read: “Indemnity Period means the period of time during which interruption or … Continue reading

Business interruption claims and Additional Increased Cost of Working (UK)

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In this October 2022 judgment, the English high court found that the cover for Additional Increased Cost of Working (AICW) was limited to those costs incurred by the insured that were not “economic” Increased Cost of Working (ICW). The costs are economic if the increased costs and expenses have the effect of diminishing or avoiding … Continue reading

Covid-19 business interruption insurance claims and closure orders by Civil Authorities (USA) Part 4

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This Californian Appeal Court judgment previously discussed here (Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3)) was also required to consider the insured’s argument that the Civil Authority Coverage Clause applies because the government orders were made in direct response to the continued and increasing presence of the Coronavirus, a dangerous physical condition, on and around … Continue reading

Covid-19 business interruption insurance claims and absence of a virus exclusion (USA) Part 3

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In this Californian Court of Appeal judgment previously discussed here (Part 1 and Part 2) the insured also argued, to support its contention that it incurred a suspension of operations caused by a direct physical loss of or damage to property, that no express exclusion for loss or damage resulting “from any virus” was included … Continue reading

Covid-19 business interruption insurance claims and suspension due to direct physical loss (USA) Part 2

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The Californian Court of Appeal in this judgment and discussed here also considered whether the insured’s business was suspended due to direct physical loss of its property. The policy required suspension of operations caused by direct physical loss of property. The insured argued that regardless of the physical presence of the Covid-19 virus, it had … Continue reading

Covid-19 business interruption insurance claims and direct physical damage (USA) Part 1

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In this Court of Appeal Judgement in the State of California, the Californian appeal court dealt authoratively with the question of whether a commercial property insurance policy provides coverage for a business’s lost income due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The court pointed out that while at that time no California appellate court had addressed the issue … Continue reading

Covid-19 business interruption claims and rental remission

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This recent Cape High court judgment contains some useful guidance for insurers in adjusting covid-19 business interruption claims involving recovery or remission of rental. The court confirmed that as a matter of general principle: a lessee is entitled to claim rental remission where there is a deprivation of or lack of beneficial use of occupation … Continue reading

Covid-19 business interruption Australian judgment mostly favours insurers

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In this, second, Australian test case for business interruption claims relating to Covid-19 the court said that “[A] policy of insurance is assumed to be an agreement which the parties intend to produce a … businesslike interpretation … …a construction that avoids capricious, unreasonable, inconvenient or unjust consequences, is to be preferred where the words … Continue reading

Business interruption claims and physical damage

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There has been a plethora of Covid-19 policy coverage litigation across the United States.  Absent non-damage extensions under business interruption policies the courts have had to consider whether amongst other things government restrictions on businesses including shutdown orders constituted interruption of business caused by loss to property insured.  That included whether those restrictions on businesses … Continue reading

Business Interruption Insurance and the absence of Damage

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A claim under a business interruption policy generally requires a valid claim under the material damage section of the policy.  And the damage must occur during the currency of the policy. In TKC London Limited v Allianz Insurance PLC [2020] EWHC 27 10 (Comm.), the insured operated a café in London.  Following the Covid-19 outbreak of … Continue reading

COVID-19, business interruption and physical damage

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In South Africa and the United Kingdom, coronavirus coverage disputes are centring around the interpretation of various non-damage extensions provided under the policy’s business interruption section. In North America, both in Canada and the United States, the focus has been whether COVID-19 caused direct physical loss or damage to the insured property triggering business interruption … Continue reading
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