Insurer Awarded Declaratory Relief in Cultural Center’s COVID-19 Coverage Battle

LOS ANGELES — A California federal judge has awarded Federal Insurance Co. declaratory relief in a COVID-19 coverage action, ruling that a Los Angeles Jewish cultural center failed to allege “direct physical loss or damage” to property.

On Nov. 9, Judge Otis D. Wright of the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California explained that his earlier order dismissing the center’s counterclaims resolved the question of whether it sustained such damage, which was required to trigger coverage under the policy.

Simon Wiesenthal Center Inc. is a global human rights organization with divisions that include non-profit, education, and film …