NYC Lodge Co. Slams Insurers’ Bids To Dismiss COVID-19 Fit
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Law360 (December 3, 2020, 9:33 PM EST) —
A New York Metropolis boutique resort operator has submitted a pair of briefs in condition court docket opposing two insurance plan companies’ bids to dismiss its fit trying to find coverage for COVID-19-connected losses, arguing that partial reduction of the use of its properties meets a “direct bodily loss” regular.
Triumph Hospitality LLC urged the court Tuesday to construe the all-threat Hartford Fire Insurance Co. and Zurich American Insurance policies Co. insurance policies for its six boutique lodges, including the Resort Edison in Periods Square and the Frederick Resort in Tribeca, in favor of protection mainly because “immediate physical loss” of coated assets is distinctive from “direct actual physical hurt.”
“The COVID-19 pandemic has crushed corporations across the region, contaminating their premises, suspending their operations, or both equally. Plaintiffs are among those people victims,” Triumph said in its Hartford brief. “The insurance policy market, like Hartford, has even further victimized insureds by refusing to go over their losses. The court need to reject Hartford’s energy to do so below, as various courts have performed in like conditions.”
Triumph reported it bought Hartford’s all-chance “Specific Multi-Flex” plan at an yearly premium of almost $350,000 to secure money protection for lodge operation losses. When the pandemic hit, and authorities closure orders introduced New York’s tourism market to a halt, Triumph said it questioned Hartford to address its small business interruption, civil authority, dependent houses, virus and additional price losses. But Hartford denied its request and now asks the court docket to enable it evade its obligation, the hotel operator said.
As for Triumph’s brief opposing Zurich American’s bid to dismiss, the hotel operator explained it compensated an once-a-year quality of about $500,000 but the insurer also has unfairly denied coverage underneath its all-possibility policy’s enterprise interruption, civil authority, dependent houses, added price and maritime protection provisions.
The Zurich policy’s assets section has no definition of “direct bodily decline” or “immediate actual physical damage,” and the industrial general liability area defines residence damage as either “bodily damage to tangible home” or “loss of use of tangible property that is not bodily wounded,” according to Triumph.
In small, the resort operator argued, nowhere in the coverage does Zurich explicitly condition that it will not go over virus-related losses.
“The plan consists of no apparent and unambiguous language barring plaintiffs’ statements – and New York legislation involves that insurance policy procedures be construed in favor of coverage,” Triumph mentioned. “Zurich argues that plaintiffs ‘cannot demonstrate the essential bodily alteration of their house, or any other residence,’ but the policy is made up of no these types of requirement.”
Further, Triumph explained, a virus exclusion does not implement in the Zurich policy for the reason that it would make no mention of “pandemics,” as opposed to Zurich’s virus exclusions in other insurance policies.
Hartford and Zurich both submitted their motions to dismiss the suit Oct. 28. Hartford argued that its virus exclusion bars all of Triumph’s claims and that the lodge operator has failed to allege “immediate physical decline” with its claims that the virus connected to surfaces at its motels.
“In the insurance policies context, the prerequisite that the reduction be actual physical is greatly held to preclude any declare against the property insurance company when the insured merely suffers a detrimental economic effect unaccompanied by a distinct, demonstrable, actual physical alteration of the residence,” Hartford reported.
Zurich also argued that Triumph has not sustained immediate actual physical loss of or harm to any coated home, and that the policy’s virus exclusion bars all coverage.
“Plaintiffs do not, and can’t, dispute that the SARS-CoV-2 virus is a ‘virus,'” Zurich claimed. “They also are not able to dispute that all claimed losses are brought on by or ensuing from the virus, considering the fact that the complaint obviously sets forth that plaintiffs’ claimed losses are primarily based on the ‘actual and threatened existence of the virus’ and the resultant remain-at-property orders. Plaintiffs’ allegations, hence, carry their declare squarely in just the policy’s virus exclusion.”
Triumph sued the two insurers Aug. 14, asserting breach of deal, breach of the implied covenant of fantastic religion and honest dealing, poor religion and violation of common enterprise regulation. The suit seeks a court docket buy requiring Hartford and Zurich to spend Triumph’s residence and small business money losses.
Counsel for Triumph and the insurance firms did not quickly respond Thursday to requests for comment.
Triumph is represented by Jack Atkin, Christine A. Montenegro, Jerold Oshinsky and Margaret A. Ziemianek of Kasowitz Benson Torres LLP.
The Hartford is represented by Charles Michael and Meghan Newcomer of Steptoe & Johnson LLP.
Zurich American is represented by Michael Menapace and Michael L. Kenny Jr. of Wiggin and Dana LLP.
The case is Triumph Hospitality LLC dba Triumph Motels et al. v. The Hartford Fireplace Insurance policies Co. and Zurich American Insurance coverage Co., index variety 653853/2020, in the Supreme Court of the Point out of New York, County of New York.
–Modifying by Breda Lund.
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