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Louisiana Supreme Court Reverses a Rare State Court of Appeals Win for COVID-19 Business Interruption Claimant

COVID-19 business interruption claimants have had few state appellate court decisions upon which to rely.  Louisiana produced one such decision in Cajun Conti, LLC v. Certain Underwriters at Lloyd’s, 2022 La. App. LEXIS 939 (La. App. 4 Cir., June 15, 2022).  The insurer prevailed in the trial court in a dispute over whether coronavirus constituted “direct physical loss of or damage to” insured property.  The insured restaurant appealed.  Louisiana’s Fourth Circuit Court of Appeal reversed the trial court.  The Court of Appeal’s opinion became widely-cited by other COVID-19 business interruption claimants.  The insurer appealed to the Louisiana Supreme Court and Cajun Conti became a widely-followed dispute.  As discussed below, the Court of Appeal’s analysis was out of step with the

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Renewal of Property Policy Requires Living Insured

A policy renewal requires a living insured to form a valid insurance contract, the Sixth Circuit recently ruled. In Boby Davis, et al. v. Westfield Ins. Co., Case No. 21-2797 (6th Cir. Mar. 14, 2022), Della Shields received a yearly homeowner’s insurance policy covering her home in Muskegon, Michigan from 2013 until her death in March 2018. Shields was the sole named insured in the yearly policy declarations. About The Authors

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Tenth Circuit Rules Against Insurer and Decides That Appraisers Can Decide Causation

In the continuing saga of what can and cannot be appraised in a property insurance appraisal, the Tenth Circuit, in contrast to many other courts, has ruled appraisers can determine coverage issues. In Bonbeck Parker, LLC v. Travelers Indem. Co. of Am., 2021 U.S. App. LEXIS 29607 (10th Cir. October 1, 2021), a hailstorm damaged three buildings covered under a commercial property insurance policy.  A dispute between the insured and insurer arose over whether the hailstorm caused all of the damage claimed.  The insurer paid some of the claimed damage, but denied coverage for other claimed damage, asserting that it was caused by non-covered causes such as wear and tear.  The insured invoked appraisal.  About The Author

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Posted in Causation, Coverage, Uncategorized
About The Property Insurance Law Observer

For more than five decades, Cozen O’Connor has represented all types of property insurers in jurisdictions throughout the United States, and it is dedicated to keeping its clients abreast of developments that impact the insurance industry. The Property Insurance Law Observer will survey court decisions, enacted or proposed legislation, and regulatory activities from all 50 states. We will also include commentary on current issues and developing trends of interest to first-party insurers.

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