Normally I don’t do blog posts that so openly solicit for business, but these certainly aren’t normal times.
In my nearly 20 years of practicing law, I have worked exclusively with small and closely held businesses. I am passionate as to their role in our nation’s economy, and quite frankly, I am very concerned for their well being at the moment.
Put another way (and a bit more bluntly), I think that small business owners are getting screwed in all of this.
Federal and state relief packages, while well-intentioned, only cover a small business owner’s payroll and expenses (rent, utilities, etc.) They do not address the significant loss of income which these business owners are experiencing.
If you are a small business owner whose business has been affected by the COVID-19 shutdown, I want to let you know of a lawsuit that my colleagues and I at Chestnut Cambronne are working on pertaining to possible insurance coverage for loss of income to businesses arising out of the national business shutdown.
You most likely have what the industry calls a GCL (General Comprehensive Liability) Policy covering your business and likely also covering loss of business income. In addition to other relief from the government, you may also have a valid claim with your insurer for business interruption and loss of business income.
The Washington Post highlighted the emerging battle between small business owners and their insurers this past week. You can click here to read their very thorough overview of where this battle is headed.
Most insurance carriers have been taking a uniform approach to denying these claims or advising insureds against filing a claim because there is “no coverage”. However, we believe that many businesses indeed may have a valid claim and a policy that covers this business interruption from the current pandemic. Despite this, many insurance carriers have been dodging or denying these claims, including those where there may be legitimate coverage under the policy. Each policy is different, and some policies do not exclude these types of claims arising from a pandemic.
Accordingly, we are willing to review your insurance policy at NO CHARGE to you to determine if you may have a valid claim under the policy, even if your agent or company has denied your claim. If it turns out you have a potential claim, we have a team of lawyers actively working on this issue and have determined there are many methods by which they can assist your business in pursuing your rights under the policy.
Feel free to contact me at (612) 336-1298 or via email at jobrien@chestnutcambronne if you would like to have your policy reviewed or have other questions about this matter.
Stay safe and healthy.