To date, much of the insurance industry’s focus on the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has been on business interruption coverage under commercial property insurance policies.
There have been numerous lawsuits filed alleging that COVID-19 and/or other attendant circumstances trigger the insuring agreements of these policies.
That question, whether COVID-19 constitutes a ‘direct physical loss of or damage to property,’ as property policies generally require, will likely be the single most litigated issue in connection with COVID-19 claims in the foreseeable future.
This makes sense given the immediate and far-reaching economic implications faced by the industry.
In the long-term, however, carriers should expect a myriad of claims under personal, commercial, and professional lines.