Fla. Hotel Owner Sues Starr Surplus Lines for COVID-19 Business Losses

MIAMI — The owner of a Florida hotel and fine dining restaurant has sued Starr Surplus Lines Insurance Co., demanding coverage for business income it lost when state lawmakers forced it to close during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a June 29 complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, I-O-T-L Inc. says the closure orders caused its properties to incur direct physical loss or damage, thereby triggering the policy’s provisions for loss of business income, extra expense and civil authority coverage.

“The presence of COVID-19 caused direct physical loss of and/or damage to the covered …