Chef Matthew Kelly is one of the few restaurateurs who has fought and won property insurers over pandemic business restrictions.
His establishments are part of a group of restaurants that a North Carolina court has sided with this fall. The insurer has appealed the decision, which found that the plaintiffs were entitled to benefits under cover of business interruption.
“I’m excited that we’ve made it this far, but that excitement and victory doesn’t translate into relief until the job is done,” said Mr Kelly.
Cases like Mr. Kelly’s keep hopes alive that some small businesses will receive insurance money to help them recover from government-imposed shutdowns.
In hundreds of lawsuits across the country, most small businesses have sued their property insurance companies for refusing to pay out business interruption claims related to the pandemic. Many insurers say their policies are plain language, excluding virus-related claims, while most claims do not meet their policy’s criteria either.