Federal Judge Tosses Chicago Dental Chain’s COVID-19 Coverage Action

CHICAGO — An Illinois federal judge has dismissed a dental chain’s COVID-19 insurance action, ruling that government orders limiting its operations did not cause “direct physical loss of or damage” to insured property, which is required to trigger coverage.

On June 11, Judge Steven C. Seeger of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois further ruled that the policy’s Ordinance or Law and Virus exclusions apply to Image Dental LLC’s losses.

Image Dental temporarily stopped performing all non-emergency procedures in March 2020 after the Illinois governor deemed such procedures “non-essential.” Because most of its procedures are elective, …