Legal experts say, while commercial property insurance policies generally provide coverage for physical damage and business interruption losses arising from civil unrest, COVID-19 losses will complicate the claims process for some businesses, Business Insurance reported.

“For policyholders for whom COVID-19 was their first significant claim or their first property claim, it may not have been clear that business income losses from the civil unrest should be treated as a separate claim,” said Tamara Bruno, a Pillsbury partner in Houston who represents policyholders. “It’s a different trigger, a different triggering event.”

“The curfew orders are distinct from the COVID-19 shutdown orders, but there will end up being overlap, particularly when it comes to damages,” Bruno said.

Depending on the policy, waiting periods can vary from 12 hours to 72 hours and some of them say “continuous period,” Bruno adds.

Legal experts say geographic distance requirements may also apply that limit coverage to a specified area within which property damage must occur, Business Insurance reported.

This requirement may say “you get coverage if you’re closed due to civil authority order because of damage that occurs within one mile, five miles, 10 miles or even as large as 25 miles of your location,” Bruno concluded.