Sentinel Insurance Co. Faces Class Action Over Alleged Denial of COVID-19-Related Damage Claims [UPDATE]
by Erin Shaak
Last Updated on September 30, 2021
Prato v. Sentinel Insurance Company Limited
Filed: April 29, 2020 ◆§ 3:20-cv-05402
Sentinel has come under fire for allegedly denying certain policyholders’ claims for damages related to business interruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Case Updates
June 2, 2020 – Another Case Filed in California [Update: Lawsuit Dismissed]
A Michelin-starred Palo Alto restaurant has filed another proposed class action against Sentinel Insurance Company, Ltd. over its alleged denial of COVID-19-related damage claims.
The plaintiff suspects that Sentinel has similarly denied other businesses’ claims “citing policy exclusions and coverage defenses that do not apply and which that [sic] have no merit.”
The full complaint can be read here.
May 12, 2020 – Another Case Filed
Sentinel Insurance Company has been hit with an additional class action lawsuit in Washington, this time filed by a Seattle medical spa.
According to the case, Sentinel failed to pay COVID-19-related claims for damage that should have been covered under the plaintiff business’s insurance policy.
The lawsuit looks to cover several classes and subclasses encompassing those whose Sentinel insurance policies included business income, extended business income, extra expense or civil authority coverage.
The full complaint can be read here.
Sentinel Insurance Company Limited has come under fire for allegedly denying certain policyholders’ claims for damages related to business interruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to a proposed class action out of Washington, a dental practice and other Sentinel insureds have not received the benefits for which they paid due to the insurer’s alleged refusal to pay for “direct physical loss of or physical damage to” covered properties.
The plaintiff business claims the various coverages included in its Sentinel insurance policy—business income coverage, extra expense coverage, extended business income coverage, and civil authority coverage—should have been triggered when Washington’s state government mandated that certain businesses close or restrict operations. Due to the COVID-19 outbreak and related government measures, the plaintiff can no longer use its property for its intended purpose and has been restricted to performing dental services only in urgent and emergency situations, the suit says.
The plaintiff alleges that Sentinel has denied and will continue to deny all similar claims for coverage under its property insurance policies.
The 14-page breach of contract lawsuit echoes similar claims filed against several other insurance companies, including Continental, Travelers, Chubb, Westchester, Liberty Mutual, Hartford, and Cincinnati, related to COVID-19 disruptions.
ClassAction.org’s coverage of COVID-19 litigation can be found here and over on our Newswire.
Sign up for our newsletter here.
Before commenting, please review our comment policy.