Ala. Clothing Store Says COVID-19 Contamination Constitutes ‘Property Damage’

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — An Alabama women’s clothing store has sued The Cincinnati Insurance Co. for coverage of business losses the retailer sustained when COVID-19 civil authority orders and a customer’s exposure to the virus forced it to temporarily close its two locations.

In a June 17 complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama, Dukes Clothing LLC contends that viral contamination constitutes property damage that is covered under its policy.

“Insurers have recognized that if real property is contaminated, or a threat of physical contamination exists, and the property is quarantined or otherwise rendered in …