Insurer Says Mich. Winery Suffered No ‘Physical Loss or Damage’ During Pandemic

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — The Cincinnati Insurance Co. is seeking dismissal of a class action lawsuit in which Michigan’s oldest winery seeks coverage for business interruption losses arising from the COVID-19 pandemic and related civil authority orders.

In a motion filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan, the insurer contends that St. Julian Wine Company Inc. failed to allege that the virus physically altered the structure of its property or caused tangible damage. Therefore, there was no “direct physical loss to property” and thus no business income or extra expense coverage or other coverage available …