Business Interruption Claim Lawyers

When a storm or other catastrophic event – including the COVID-19 pandemic – forces your business to shut down, the damages that you suffer are not limited to the physical structure of your property.

Business Interruption Claims

When your business is interrupted, you suffer loss of revenue for the time that your business cannot operate, and the extra expenses incurred trying to get your business back in order as soon as possible. You can lose not only steady income, but also customer loyalty and critical, one-time opportunities.

If your commercial property insurance company disputes, delays, or denies your claim, the loss of revenue and extra expenses may be recoverable through a business interruption claim.

Loss of Business Due to COVID-19

The coronavirus outbreak has inflicted severe damage on both human lives and the economy. Except for businesses deemed “essential,” commerce has largely ground to a halt. The resulting business interruption losses may be too much for some business owners to recover from without payment from their commercial insurance carriers.

Depending on your policy’s specific exclusions and coverage extensions, you may qualify for financial relief from your insurer.

Civil Authority Coverage

Stay-at-home or shelter-in-place orders in response to COVID-19 have forced non-essential businesses across the United States to close their doors. When business owners limit or cease business operations to comply with orders from local, state, or federal government, they’re acting in response to civil authority.
Will commercial insurance policies cover this? If your policy includes civil authority coverage, you may have a valid business interruption claim. Raizner Slania’s experienced attorneys can review your policy to see if you have a case.

Virus Exclusion Clauses

Many insurers added virus exclusions to their business insurance policies following the SARS outbreak in the early 2000s. Most, but not all, commercial insurance policies feature this exclusion – and many insurers are now denying COVID-related business interruption claims as a result.

However, many commercial policies also include endorsements designed to cover pandemics and similar events caused by communicable disease. And some insurance policies don’t have language related to pandemics at all. Raizner Slania’s attorneys can review your commercial insurance policy to determine whether you may have a valid business interruption claim due to the coronavirus outbreak.

To learn more, our recent post about virus and bacteria-related policy exclusions covers this topic in more detail.

Special Event Coverage

In an effort to “flatten to curve” and prevent a rapid spike in critical COVID-19 cases, many large events and gatherings have been postponed or canceled outright. This includes conventions, sporting events, concerts, and more.

Event cancellation coverage often contains virus exclusion clauses. However, not all commercial insurance policies are alike. The verbiage of your policy dictates whether your loss of business is considered a covered loss.

If your policy includes a “leader property” endorsement, businesses whose revenue was driven by nearby attractions or destinations that have closed (such as amusement parks and stadiums) may qualify for compensation.

If your business has been harmed financially due to event cancellation, it’s important that you review your policy to learn whether you’re covered. Raizner Slania’s experienced attorneys can help.

Read our post about special event insurance coverage for more detail.

Pandemic & Communicable Disease Coverage

While many insurance policy exclusions prevent pandemic situations like the COVID-19 outbreak from triggering coverage, some do offer specific coverage for pandemic-related business interruption events.

Lloyd’s of London and FM Global both offer policies that cover losses stemming from pandemics or communicable disease. But they may only apply in certain situations you’re your business was forced to close on orders from civil authority, coverage may not be triggered. Understanding the full scope of your coverage requires a close reading of the terms of your policy and how it is worded.

Read our post about pandemic, virus, and communicable disease policy extensions for more information.

Fighting for the Full Value of Your Business

Our legal team works every day to build strong cases against commercial property insurance companies across the nation. After a major storm or disaster, your business should not lose money because of a low-ball estimate from your insurance company.

We know the tricks that the insurance companies use. We also know that deciphering cryptic language in your policy can be intimidating, as is the prospect of suing a major corporate insurer.

Common Business Interruption Claim Obstacles

• An adjuster and other insurance representatives may give any number of reasons for denying or stonewalling your business interruption claim
• Your insurance company may hire its hand-selected accountants and consultants to understate the true amounts of your business interruption claim
• You may have incurred extra expenses to get your business up and running again, and your insurance company won’t listen or refuses to pay
• The insurance company and its adjusters may only agree to pay for part of your lost business claim and not the full amounts owed
• Dealing with insurance companies takes valuable time away from your goal of getting your business back to normal or finding another way to regain financial stability

An attorney can help you navigate these roadblocks and let you get back to the part that you are familiar with – running your business. We do not simply take the insurance company’s estimate of your damages. As experts in commercial property damage and business interruption insurance, we utilize quality investigators and insurance coverage experts to find out the value of your business interruption claim. This allows us to build the strongest possible case for you.

Get an Experienced Business Interruption Attorney to Help With Your Claim

The attorneys at Raizner Slania have extensive experience dealing with all types of insurance claims, such as hail damage insurance claims and many more, negotiating with all major insurance companies, and taking the carriers to court when necessary. We can help you obtain fair value for your business interruption claim and get your business up and running again.

Our cases are prepared from beginning to end, and our clients can count us on us to provide effective representation and be prepared for trial if necessary. To discuss your claim and legal options with a lawyer experienced in handling business interruption claims, please contact us today for a free consultation and case evaluation.