As the effects of COVID-19 continue to impact businesses, it will, surely be an uphill battle to have insurers confirm coverage under most standard insurance policies. Ultimately, a flurry of litigation and government intervention will determine how insurers deal with the losses that their insureds are suffering and will continue to experience stemming from this disaster.
Over the next few weeks and months (maybe years), as these claims unfold, insurers will be faced with the task of interpreting policies and informing their insureds how coverage will or won’t respond. In the meantime, there are some things a business can do to preserve their position with potential COVID-19 claims.
We are a proponent of being proactive about reporting potential claims and feel that it is a key part of preserving an insureds’ right under their insurance. In these unique, unprecedented times, and all of the uncertainty that comes with them, it is important to be able to consider all risks that may arise from COVID-19. Various states have laws regarding proper notice of a claim. There is no real disadvantage of notifying your insurers that you suffered an event that could give rise to a loss under the policy. You, generally, don’t need to be very specific to report the claim but as the insurer considers the coverage and facts of the event, you may be pressed for additional details.
A business that is proactive about claims reporting, generally, sees better outcomes when claims do materialize. Notify your policies as soon as possible so that they have proper notification if and when a claim arises due to COVID-19.
If you need more information on any of the topics covered in this blog, or need help with any risk related issues please contact Albert Sica, Managing Principal, at 732.395.4251 or [email protected].
