Suffice it to say, the COVID-19 pandemic has devastated small businesses across America, and as a small business owner myself, I count every day that my doors remain open as a blessing. But the tragic reality is that I’m among the lucky few, and so I want to devote this week’s KellyGram to a brief discussion about relief that may be available to business owners struggling to stay afloat in this strange time of social distancing and isolation.

Many small business owners, when purchasing insurance coverage for their company, opt for a policy that includes business interruption insurance. This form of coverages provides protection to businesses that have suffered revenue losses as the result of a covered disaster or peril. Although the availability of business interruption benefits is, of course, dependent upon the terms of a business’s individual policy, I strongly encourage my fellow small business owners to review their insurance contracts to determine whether they may qualify for this relief.

That said, there is a growing discussion that business interruption claims relating to the COVID-19 pandemic are being largely denied by insurance companies, and in some instances, those denials are improper under the terms of the respective insurance policy. I cannot recommend enough that business owners who’ve been denied business interruption coverage during this time of crisis consult a lawyer to review their policy and vigorously challenge the denial if possible. Mike Kelly Law Group’s litigation team is well-versed in handling bad-faith insurance denials and will review your claim at no charge. Just give us a call at (803) 726-0123. Times are tough, but as ever, we’re here for the people (and businesses!) of South Carolina.