Ga. Federal Judge Dismisses Law Firm’s COVID-19 Coverage Action

ATLANTA — A Georgia federal judge has dismissed a law firm’s COVID-19 coverage action against Hartford Casualty Insurance Co., ruling that neither government closure orders nor the virus itself caused the firm to sustain “direct physical loss or damage” to property.

In a Jan. 26 order, Judge William M. Ray II of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia said the Hartford policy “is clear that a direct physical loss must cause the suspension of operations,” and under law, The Law Office of Karmel S. Davis has not incurred direct physical losses.

“A ‘direct physical loss …