Midwestern College Loses Bid for COVID-19 Coverage

ST. LOUIS — A Missouri federal judge has dismissed a university’s COVID-19 coverage action against Zurich American Insurance Co., ruling that it failed to allege “direct physical loss of or damage” to property, as required to trigger coverage under the policy.

In a Nov. 1 order, Judge Henry E. Autrey of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri explained that Lindenwood University’s decision to switch to online learning and send students off campus did not constitute a “direct physical loss of” its property.

“Nothing physical happened to the property. Rather, there only was a change …