Business owners may encounter situations that are beyond their control which cause them to suffer serious financial losses. Business interruption insurance is intended to help a business cover loss from an event that interferes with their normal operations.
Business interruption overview
Business interruption insurance may cover natural disasters, like earthquakes, floods, tornadoes, or hurricanes that cause damage to the business’s structure or premises.
To make a claim, the business owner should notify the insurance company and gather evidence of the loss, like receipts, photos and other documents that support the claim, and then submit the claim to the insurance company. The insurance company will review the claim and if it is approved, it will pay the business under the terms of the policy’s coverage.
Denied claim
Unfortunately, the insurance company may deny the claim for coverage. There are several common denial reasons. The insurance company may state that the cause of the business interruption is not covered by the policy, that there is a waiting period before coverage takes effect, or that there is missing documentation to support the claim.
The claim may also be denied if the policy requires that there is physical damage to the property and the business interruption is caused by something else, like an illness or injury, for example.
The insurance may also withhold payment if they believe the claim is fraudulent or that the policyholder did not take reasonable steps to prevent additional damage to the property.
If you have made a claim for coverage under a business interruption policy and it was denied, there are options to address it.
