Prime Time Sports Grill, Inc. v. DTW 1991 Underwriting Limited

District Court, M.D. Florida·Decided December 17, 2020·No. 8:20-cv-00771·Unknown

Opinion

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT MIDDLE DISTRICT OF FLORIDA TAMPA DIVISION

PRIME TIME SPORTS GRILL, INC.,

Plaintiff,

v. Case No: 8:20-cv-771-T-36JSS

DTW 1991 UNDERWRITING LIMITED,

Defendant. ___________________________________/ ORDER This matter comes before the Court upon Defendant's Motion to Dismiss Pursuant to Rule 12(b)(6) [Doc. 13], Plaintiff’s response [Doc. 18], Defendant’s reply [Doc 22] and the notices of supplemental authority filed by the parties [Docs. 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 47]. In the motion, Defendant argues that Plaintiff has failed to state a claim upon which relief can be granted as Plaintiff has not alleged any facts that give rise to coverage under its policy of commercial property insurance. The Court, having considered the motion and being fully advised in the premises, will GRANT Defendant's Motion to Dismiss Pursuant to Rule 12(b)(6). I. BACKGROUND1

1 The following statement of facts is derived from Plaintiff’s Complaint (Doc. 1), the allegations of which the Court must accept as true in ruling on the instant Motion to Dismiss. Linder v. Portocarrero, 963 F.2d 332, 334 (11th Cir. 1992); Quality Foods de Centro Am., S.A. v. Latin Am. Agribusiness Dev. Corp. S.A., 711 F.2d 989, 994 (11th Cir. 1983). a. Facts Plaintiff Prime Time Sports Grill, Inc. operates a bar and restaurant in Tampa,

Florida. [Doc. 6 ¶ 4]. In conducting business, Plaintiff ordinarily employs between 20 to 25 employees, 7 days a week, 365 days per year, from 11 a.m. until 3 a.m. daily. Id. Effective June 7, 2019, Plaintiff received commercial property insurance coverage from Defendant DTW 1991 Underwriting Limited through the international insurance marketplace known as Lloyd’s, London. Id. ¶ 3. The policy protected

Plaintiff from all risks that were not specifically excluded, including loss of net business profit and operating expenses. Id. Per the policy, this coverage extended through June 7, 2020. Id. On March 17, 2020, Florida’s Governor Ron DeSantis ordered all bars and restaurants in the state of Florida closed for 30 days in response to the COVID-19

pandemic. Id. ¶ 6. 2 That same day, Plaintiff notified Defendant that based on its monthly gross revenues and normal operating expenses, the governmental suspension would result in a loss of more than $15,000 in net profit and would cause it to incur more than $60,000.00 in operating expenses, including payroll from March 17, 2020 through April 1, 2020 and that the loss would be in excess of $30,000 in net profit and

$120,000 in operating expenses, including payroll by April 17, 2020. Id. ¶¶ 6,7. Plaintiff also requested that Defendant pay all benefits owed under the policy for the COVID-

2 On April 1, 2020, Governor DeSantis implemented a state-wide “stay at home” order for the entire state of Florida for an additional 30 days. [Doc. 6 ¶ 3]. 19 governmental suspension of business. Id. ¶ 7. By letter dated March 23, 2020, Defendant denied the request. Id. ¶ 8.

b. Procedural history Plaintiff then filed this action on April 2, 2020.3 [Doc. 1]. In the Amended Complaint, Plaintiff alleges it is in doubt as to its rights and Defendant’s obligations to provide coverage for “the losses stemming from the governmental suspension as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic relating from the losses of income, business

interruption, extra expense, contingent business interruption, ingress/egress, civil authority, all risk coverage, and other coverage extensions under the policy of insurance.” [Doc. 6 ¶¶ 11, 12]. As such, Plaintiff has requested a declaration that the losses resulting from Covid-19 are covered by the policy issued by Defendant. Defendant has moved to dismiss the action pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil

Procedure 12(b)(6). [Doc. 13 at p. 2]. In the motion, Defendant argues that the Amended Complaint does not allege a claim that falls within the policy’s Business Income insuring agreement as coverage only applies to a slowdown or cessation of operations if it is “caused by direct physical loss of or damage to property” at the insured premises and Plaintiff has not alleged any form of “physical” loss or damage to

anything. Id. at pp. 7-8. Additionally, Defendant states that any claim for coverage under the Civil Authority provision of the policy fails as a matter of law as that provision requires, among other things, damage to property away from the insured

3 Initially, Plaintiff named defendant as Certain Underwriters at Lloyd’s London but then amended the complaint in response to this Court’s jurisdictional inquiry. [Docs. 1, 5]. premises, which also has not been alleged. Id. at pp. 20-21. Defendant further argues that the Court should dismiss the action with prejudice as Plaintiff cannot formulate any alternative basis for coverage out of the Governor’s orders or COVID-19 in general

as neither has created a direct physical loss to the property. Id. at p. 12. In its response, Plaintiff presents a number of arguments as to why Defendant’s coverage decision is wrong and the motion should be denied. [Doc. 18 at pp. 12-24]. Plaintiff contends that it has sufficiently alleged that a “covered cause of loss” caused “direct physical loss of or damage to” insured “property.” Id. at pp. 2, 12. Plaintiff

specifically explains that the policy offers “all-risk” coverage and all fortuitous loss occurring during the policy period is covered unless it results from misconduct or fraud and there is no specific exclusion in the policy for losses caused by governmental suspension orders or viruses. Id. at pp. 12-15. Additionally, Plaintiff contends that

business income is covered commercial property that suffered a loss or damage when business operations were suspended, and that Defendant conflates coverage with causation and indiscriminately shifts between cause of loss and the loss suffered. Id. at p. 16. Plaintiff further contends that the failure of the property to perform its function constituted a “direct” and “physical” loss to the property within the meaning of the

policy, even in the absence of “damage.” Id. at pp. 18-19. In reply, Defendant again argues that Plaintiff has not experienced or claimed any “direct physical loss of or damage to property at premises which are described in the Declarations,” which must exist for coverage to exist under the policy. [Doc. 22 at p. 2]. Defendant also argues that loss of use and loss of market caused by the enforcement of, or compliance with laws regulating the use of property has never been a covered cause of loss. Id. In fact, Defendant posits that Plaintiff’s claim that coverage exists is based on an attempt to avoid the plain language of the policy, which controls.

Id. Defendant also argues that business income does not constitute covered property under the policy, as the policy defines covered property as including the building, business fixtures, and related equipment, but not accounts, bills, currency, money, notes or securities, among other similar items. Id. at p. 3. Further, Defendant again

points out that Plaintiff’s suspension was allegedly caused by governmental orders, not physical loss of or damage to property at the insured premises and the monetary loss was not a covered cause of loss as defined in the policy. Id. at p. 4. Lastly, Defendant argues that because there are no facts to develop, the Court need not defer the issue to summary judgment as Plaintiff requests in its response. Id.

II.

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