Owner of Chicago Deli Chain Sues Erie Insurance for COVID-19 Business Losses

CHICAGO — The owner of 23 Chicagoland delis has sued Erie Indemnity Co. and Erie Insurance Exchange for coverage of business interruption losses caused by government closure orders that were issued in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a Dec. 29 complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Halsted Street Deli Holdings LLC contends that its policy does not exclude coverage for pandemic-related losses, and that the orders, as well as the virus itself, caused “physical loss or damage” to its insured properties.

“The interruption of Halsted Street’s business cause by the COVID-19 pandemic …