Related Practices
Steven Badger Quoted in Claims Journal: Uptick in COVID-Related Business Interruption Lawsuits
April 8, 2021Steven Badger, a partner in the Dallas office of Zelle, was quoted in a Claims Journal article titled “Businesses Filing More COVID Lawsuits and the Stakes are Higher.”
The anniversary of COVID-19 shutdown orders brought an upturn in both the number of business-interruption lawsuits against insurers and the amount of damages they are claiming.
“We are seeing larger and more sophisticated business-interruption filings now,” said Badger. “It appears a lot of them have waited on the sidelines to see how things progressed before filing suit.”
In Badger’s view, plaintiff’s attorneys waited to see how the courts ruled on early claims so as to draft their lawsuits to maximize their prospects for coverage; however, insurers are continuing to win the large majority of cases that have been decided so far through motions to dismiss or for summary judgment. In fact, Badger said in recent weeks the ratio of wins to losses tilted even more heavily toward insurers.
Click here to read “Businesses Filing More COVID Lawsuits and the Stakes are Higher.”
