A variety of class actions have been filed by businesses whose have been denied payouts under their business insurance policies for losses due to Covid-19 closures. This case concerns a denial by a travel insurance company that is refusing to cover trips cancelled due to the coronavirus. It brings suit against Generali US Branch, Generali Global Assistance, Inc., and Customized Services Administrators, Inc., which does business as CSA Travel Protection.
The Nationwide Class for this action is all persons in the US who bought Generali travel insurance plans, have incurred out-of-pocket trip cancellation expenses, and were prevented from taking or completing a trip as a result of a covered event during the Covid-19 pandemic. As an alternative, the complaint proposes a California state class.
On March 11, 2020 plaintiff Jo Ellen Young bought insurance for a trip she and her husband meant to take to Ashland, Oregon between June 10 and June 15, 2020. The couple, in their eighties, meant to go to the Oregon Shakespeare festival.
On that same day, the World Health Organization declared Covid-19 to be a global pandemic. The following day, Kate Brown, the Governor of Oregon, prohibited gatherings of more than 250 persons. She eventually issued a stay-at-home order and the Oregon Shakespeare Festival then canceled all performances for the rest of the season.
On May 7, the date of the Oregon stay-at-home order and the festival cancellation, Young canceled the trip she had booked and filed an insurance claim.
However, the companies denied the claim. The complaint quotes the denial letter as saying that “the Coronavirus outbreak is considered a foreseeable event under any plans purchased on or after January 29, 2020. Therefore, you could be covered if you are diagnosed with Coronavirus, but foreseeable events such as becoming quarantined due to the Coronavirus will not be covered.”
The policy states that benefits will be paid “if you are prevented from taking your Trip due to one of the following unforeseeable Covered Events that occur before departure on your Trip…” Listed among the covered events is “[y]our Accommodations at your destination made inaccessible” and “[b]eing hijacked or Quarantined[,]” with certain qualifications.
Instead of paying benefits, however, the companies offered Young vouchers equal to the amount of the premiums. The complaint says, “Upon information and belief, [the companies] have essentially implemented a uniform approach categorically issuing denials to all insureds who submit Claims for virtually any loss arising during the Covid-19 outbreak and pandemic.”
Article Type: LawsuitTopic: Insurance
Most Recent Case Event
Generali Travel Insurance Denies Benefits for Covid-19 Cancellations Complaint
September 14, 2020
A variety of class actions have been filed by businesses whose have been denied payouts under their business insurance policies for losses due to Covid-19 closures. This case concerns a denial by a travel insurance company that is refusing to cover trips cancelled due to the coronavirus. It brings suit against Generali US Branch, Generali Global Assistance, Inc., and Customized Services Administrators, Inc., which does business as CSA Travel Protection.
Generali Travel Insurance Denies Benefits for Covid-19 Cancellations ComplaintCase Event History
Generali Travel Insurance Denies Benefits for Covid-19 Cancellations Complaint
September 14, 2020
A variety of class actions have been filed by businesses whose have been denied payouts under their business insurance policies for losses due to Covid-19 closures. This case concerns a denial by a travel insurance company that is refusing to cover trips cancelled due to the coronavirus. It brings suit against Generali US Branch, Generali Global Assistance, Inc., and Customized Services Administrators, Inc., which does business as CSA Travel Protection.
Generali Travel Insurance Denies Benefits for Covid-19 Cancellations Complaint