A Washington state court on Thursday ruled that the Snoqualmie Indian Tribe is owed business interruption coverage under its policy with an FM Global unit for losses it sustained after being forced to close its casino and events locations due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ruling in [the case], Washington Superior Court Judge Catherine Shaffer in Seattle said the tribe’s all-risk policy does not require physical damage to take place for coverage to be triggered.
Like many U.S. businesses, the Snoqualmie Casino and Salish Lodge & Spa closed during government-imposed lockdowns announced following the COVID-19 outbreak last year.
The tribe filed a business interruption claim with Affiliated FM under its $150 million all-risk policy but the insurer said coverage was limited to the $100,000 sublimit within the policy’s communicable disease extension.
