St. Louis Nail Salon Loses Bid for COVID-19 Business Interruption Coverage

ST. LOUIS — A federal judge has dismissed a St. Louis nail salon’s COVID-19 coverage action against Travelers Insurance Company of America, agreeing with the insurer that there was no “physical loss of or damage” to insured property or surrounding properties, as required by the policy.

In a Jan. 5 order, Judge Catherine D. Perry of the the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri noted that Ballas Nails & Spa LLC failed to allege that the coronavirus was present on its premises and therefore could not prove that its salon was rendered unsafe and unusable.

Ballas temporarily …