closure orders News

New Mexico Fires Prompt Forest Closures, Governor Seeks Aid

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico’s governor said Tuesday that given the ferocity and swift movements of a record-setting wildfire burning in the northeastern part of the state, the damage will be significant with estimates of burned homes and other …

Nation’s 1st COVID-19 Business-Interruption Suit Headed to Trial [Update]

A trial will begin Monday in what is thought to be the first lawsuit to be filed against an insurer for denying coverage for business-interruption losses caused by COVID-19 shutdown orders. Judge Paulette R. Irons ruled against a motion for …

Michigan Suit Brings Another Loss for Plaintiffs with COVID-19 Business Interruption Claims

Another federal court has dismissed a COVID-19 business interruption lawsuit, finding that a closure order does not constitute a covered “direct physical loss” and that the policy excluded damages caused by viruses anyway. The ruling by the U.S. District Court …

Auto Claims Climbed with Summer Reopenings, but Dropping Again as Virus Rages

The sharp reduction in personal auto claims that followed COVID-19 shutdown orders began to fade away after the Memorial Day weekend, but frequency appears to dropping again in reaction to a resurgence of the disease. Andy Cohen, chief operating officer …

Report: Protest Damage Cited by Portland Cops Skewed by Mall

PORTLAND, Ore. — The Portland police said earlier this week that ongoing protests had cost businesses in the downtown area $23 million in property damage and lost revenue, but those figures are skewed by just one business — a mall …

Bid to Force Interruption Insurance to Cover Virus Shelved

BATON ROUGE, La. — Louisiana lawmakers won’t try to force business interruption insurance policies to cover the widespread closures caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Sen. Rick Ward, a Port Allen Republican, scrapped the proposal Wednesday amid concerns it could crater …