Dental Chain May Amend COVID-19 Contamination Bad Faith Claim, Ill. Federal Judge Rules

CHICAGO — An Illinois federal judge has dismissed COVID-19 lost income coverage claims filed by a dental chain against Massachusetts Bay Insurance Co., finding the policy’s virus exclusion applies to losses caused by government orders limiting its operations.

In a May 1 order, Judge Matthew F. Kennelly of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois noted that while the 7th Circuit has not addressed whether virus exclusions bar coverage for loss of business income due to the pandemic, several judges in the district have concluded in similar cases that it does.

However, the judge allowed Dental Experts …