Hunton Insurance Recovery Blog

The Minnesota Court of Appeals recently handed policyholders an important win in Life Time, Inc. v. Zurich American Insurance Co., reversing a trial court ruling that had capped coverage under a communicable disease endorsement at the $1 million per occurrence limit. Relying on the express language of the communicable disease coverage at issue, the appellate court held that government shutdown orders—not the COVID-19 pandemic itself—constituted the operative “occurrences” under Life Time’s policy. By interpreting the cause of loss in this way, the court expanded Life Time’s recovery from a single $1 million limit to 29 separate limits, one for each jurisdiction that independently ordered closure of Life Time’s business locations.

Law360 has appointed insurance coverage counsel Jorge R. Aviles to serve on its 2025 Editorial Board for Insurance Authority Specialty Lines. As a member on the Editorial Board, Jorge will provide feedback on publication coverage and insight on how to best shape future coverage. Jorge’s appointment to the Editorial Board reflects Hunton attorneys’ reputations as leaders in the insurance coverage field and recognizes their valuable insights and contributions to thought leadership. Law360 also appointed Hunton partner Gregory G. Hesse to serve on the Editorial Board for Bankruptcy.

The Northern District of New York recently denied an insurer’s motion to dismiss a bad faith claim, finding that the complaint alleged that the insurer violated New York’s law against deceptive acts and practices. The statute provides key protections to policyholders and is an important tool that policyholders can leverage against insurers who wrongfully deny coverage.

Washington, DC-based partner Michael Levine has been recognized for his extensive experience and insights into emerging and legacy property and business interruption insurance coverage issues by being selected to Law360’s 2024 Editorial Advisory Board for Insurance Authority Property. As a member of the board, Mike will provide feedback on Law360’s coverage of property issues and expert insight on how best to shape future reporting of issues affecting businesses across all industry sectors.