Battle Over COVID-19 Lockdown Insurance Claims Reaches Nevada’s Supreme Court

The Nevada Supreme Court heard oral arguments Monday from an insurance company claiming it should not have to provide coverage to a Strip open-air mall that lost business due to the COVID-19 lockdowns in 2020.

JGB Vegas Retail Lessee, which owns the Grand Bazaar Shops outside what is now known as the Horseshoe Las Vegas, first filed a lawsuit in June 2020 against Starr Surplus Lines Insurance. The shops’ owner argued that the insurance company denied a claim filed under a ‘business interruption policy,’ which JGB Vegas stated should cover the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The state’s high court heard oral arguments after the insurance company appealed a decision from a lower court judge, who declined to dismiss the lawsuit. The case echoes similar lawsuits over business insurance disputes in the wake of the pandemic.