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Business interruption insurance claims

If like many businesses in the UK, you have suffered considerable loss of income and other damage due to being forced to temporarily close during the coronavirus pandemic, you may be able to claim business interruption losses.

Most businesses have insurance cover for business interruption, however, owners and directors are unsure if they will be covered for losses caused by the pandemic. See our FAQs below for further details.

Following the recent Supreme Court decision, some insurers have confirmed potential coverage, others are either failing to confirm cover or have denied cover completely. Either way, claims can be complex and time-consuming.

Our award-winning dispute resolution solicitors have a strong history of dealing with insurance litigation, especially in claims involving business interruption. We will assess whether your cover provides protection for your business against the consequences of coronavirus and advise if you have a potential claim.

Even if you have been refused cover before, we will give your claim the best possible chance of success. We will help you put together evidence to support the claim and communicate with your insurers to reach a settlement. We always aim to negotiate settlements as quickly as possible, but we’re also experienced at resolving disputes in court when needed.

We can offer a variety of fee options in order to make using a specialist firm of solicitors affordable. This includes options such as no-win, no-fee, fixed costs, capped costs and shared risk/reward arrangements. Options can be considered once we have details of your potential claim. Please complete the form below to start the process.

We have helped businesses across all industry sectors make successful business interruption insurance claims, including:

  • Accommodation and food services
  • Wholesale and retail trade
  • Arts, entertainment and leisure
  • Transportation and storage
  • Manufacturing
  • Education
  • Administrative and support services
  • Construction
  • Information and communication
  • Health and social work activities
  • Real estate activities

What is business interruption insurance?

This type of insurance covers businesses for loss of income/revenue (dependent on your policy terms) for periods when the business was unable to trade as usual due to an unanticipated event.

What does business interruption insurance usually cover?

Usually, a claim is made in respect of business interruption based on events such as floods, fire, storms etc, these are known as the insured perils. Policies can also provide extensions to cover non-damage related perils, such as disease and forced closure of premises. However, the coverage is specific to your policy wording and any limitations that may be included.

Have you been denied a claim on your business interruption insurance?

Insurers have taken a robust approach to date in respect of rejecting claims for business interruption caused by COVID-19. However, in light of this, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) issued proceedings under the Financial Market Test Case Scheme against 8 insurer defendants. In these proceedings, the FCA stood in the shoes of policyholders and represented the policyholders’ interests.

The insurers party to these proceedings were:

  • Arch Insurance (UK) Limited
  • Argenta Syndicate Management Limited
  • Ecclesiastical Insurance Office PLC
  • Hiscox Insurance Company Limited
  • MS Amlin Underwriting Limited
  • QBE UK Limited
  • Royal & Sun Alliance Insurance PLC
  • Zurich Insurance PLC

The test case was brought to determine the validity of insurers denying business interruption claims for losses sustained as a direct cause of the COVID-19 pandemic. The test case has been appealed to the Supreme Court and Judgment was handed down on 15 January 2021. You can view our comments on the Judgment here; however, in brief, it has been held that the insurers were largely wrong to deny liability under their policies with explanations being provided as to the interpretations of certain clauses.

Following the test case, some other insurers have also notified the FCA of potential liability under the policies where the wording is the same or similar to those policies considered in the test case. This is good news for policyholders as it has shed some light on possible interpretations of policy wordings. However, the test case was not intended to cover all possible disputes relating to business interruption claims but to resolve key contractual uncertainties and address issues of causation in order to provide clarity for policyholders.

On a very general basis, policies which contain “Disease Clauses” are probably most likely to be covered for losses linked to the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly those with open-ended definitions of disease and illnesses. Whereas policies which contain “Prevention of Access” or “Hybrid” clauses may have more difficulty in recovering losses linked to the COVID-19 pandemic, as they are often linked to physical damage events.

Can I make a claim?

One of the arguments put forward by the insurers within the test case was that the value of losses could be discounted in any event to reflect the downturn that would have been suffered in any event because of the wider COVID-19 on trade. This position was rejected by the Supreme Court and it was held that “losses should be assessed on the assumption that there was no COVID-19 pandemic”.

Therefore, any discount for losses cannot be connected in any way to the effects of COVID-19.

Can my insurer argue that I may have suffered losses anyway?

One of the arguments put forward by the insurers within the test case was that the value of losses could be discounted in any event to reflect the downturn that would have been suffered in any event because of the wider COVID-19 on trade. This position was rejected by the Supreme Court and it was held that “losses should be assessed on the assumption that there was no COVID-19 pandemic”.

Therefore, any discount for losses cannot be connected in any way to the effects of COVID-19.

Why use Flint Bishop?

Our dispute resolution solicitors have a strong history of dealing with insurance litigation especially in claims involving business interruption. We work to achieve settlement as early and on the most beneficial terms possible. However, if court proceedings are also required, we offer robust and strategic advice throughout the case in order to achieve the best possible outcome for you.

We can also source the appropriate third-party assistance such as forensic accountants in order to assess and report on your losses and any consequential losses.

We can offer a full service above and beyond that which a claims management company or loss adjuster can offer as we bring a wealth of experience in litigated matters.

We offer many different possible funding options which can be considered with you once we have basic information about your case and we have carried out an initial review of your case.

If you are interested in making a claim, please submit your details using the form above and we will get back to you to discuss your case and possible funding options.

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