Ralph Lauren Cannot Recoup COVID-19 Losses from Insurer, N.J. Federal Judge Rules

TRENTON, N.J. — A New Jersey federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit in which Ralph Lauren Corp. accused Factory Mutual Insurance Co. of fraudulently refusing to pay most of its COVID-19 related losses, ruling that the retail giant did not sustain “physical loss or damage” to its properties.

In a May 12 order, Judge Susan Wigenton of the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey added that even if Ralph Lauren pled the existence of actual or imminent “physical loss or damage,” its claim fails under the policy’s Contamination Exclusion.

Founded in 1967, Ralph Lauren, is a …