Partner Ross A. Williams is quoted in the Washington Post article titled “Insurers knew the damage a viral pandemic could wreak on businesses. So they excluded coverage.” The piece explores how many business interruption insurance plans, due to policy changes made after the SARS outbreak, added exclusions to standard commercial policies for losses caused by viruses or bacteria – meaning that claims related to the COVID-19 pandemic will likely be rejected. The piece notes that insurance policy language varies greatly, with some using boilerplate language and other having personalized exclusions and endorsements. Williams commented, “We’re going to see a tidal wave of litigation over the business interruption. It’s really a Wild West situation for a lot of businesses as to whether they’ll have coverage.”

To read the full Washington Post article, please click here. For more information on business interruption insurance and the applicability to your business, please read Williams’ alert here.