coronavirus business interruption News

Insurers Face Disputes with Their Reinsurers over UK COVID-19 Business Income Claims

Top insurance companies, ordered by Britain’s highest court to pay thousands of small businesses millions of pounds in claims for COVID-19 disruption, are facing a battle with reinsurers over who should foot the bill, industry sources said. Bars, beauty parlors, …

BI Innovation Coming Soon: Low-Limit Policies from Insurtech Thimble

See a need and then fill it. That’s the secret of most successful businesses—and that was the driving motivator of insurtech Thimble, which is currently working on coverage for small business customers during business interruptions. Jay Bregman, co-founder of the …

Total Pandemic Losses for P/C Insurers Will Take Years to Determine: Fitch

Incurred pandemic losses for U.S. property/casualty insurers increased only modestly in fourth quarter of 2020 from earlier quarters in the year. Still, the amount of ultimate losses remains unclear and will take several years to determine in business interruption, general …

Some Insurers Strengthening Virus Exclusion Language in Policies After COVID Cases

U.S. insurers are strengthening language in policies that cover business losses to protect them from future claims related to the coronavirus pandemic or other widespread illnesses that disrupt operations, industry sources say. New policies and renewals now define terms like …

Insurers Don’t Have Capacity to Handle Systemic Pandemic Risk: Generali CEO

MILAN – Europe’s insurance industry doesn’t have the capacity to deal with the systemic risk of a pandemic and more protection needs to be put in place through private-public partnerships, the head of Italian insurer Generali said on Thursday. Speaking …

Hiscox Cites Loss on COVID, BI Dispute ‘Brand Damage’; Will Alter Liability, Cyber Books

British insurer Hiscox reported a big loss for 2020 after a jump in claims from businesses disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic and also faces “brand damage” from a legal dispute over policy wordings for pandemic-linked claims. Hiscox shares plunged 13% …

Judge Advances Multidistrict COVID Business Interruption Case Against Society Insurance

A federal judge denied Society Insurance’s motions to dismiss three “bellwether” lawsuits filed by hospitality businesses that were denied coverage for revenue lost because of COVID-19 public health orders. U.S. District Judge Edmond Chang in Chicago, who was assigned a …

Investors Eye Windfall From Denied COVID-19 Insurance Claims

A growing market niche where investors profit from others’ legal troubles is getting a boost from Covid. Distressed-investing funds and litigation-finance boutiques are likely to be spoiled for choice after a landmark U.K. court ruling last month rejected pleas from …

Irish Pubs Entitled to Get Lockdown Insurance Payments from FBD: High Court Ruling

DUBLIN – Ireland’s High Court ruled on Friday that four publicans insured by FBD were entitled to be indemnified for losses under lockdown-linked claims, in a test case that could have implications for over 1,000 similar contracts. Irish pubs have …

Repair Your Damaged Reputations, AM Best Tells UK Insurers

While most of the COVID-related problems that plagued UK commercial property insurers will abate after the March anniversary of lockdowns, battles with reinsurers and damaged reputations are lingering impacts, AM Best said. In a commentary report, “UK Commercial Property Insurers—Looking …