Courts / Westmeath / Report

Last remaining test cases against FBD over Covid insurance are settled

Date
2022-11-04

Stage
Hearing Or Decision

Primary locality
Athlone

Summary

In November 2022 the High Court heard that the remaining publicans who had brought test actions against FBD over the insurer's failure to pay business‑disruption claims caused by Covid‑19 had settled. The two test actions brought by Aberken, trading as Sinnott's Bar, and Hyper Trust Ltd, trading as The Leopardstown Inn, were resolved after extensive out‑of‑court talks. The court is now considering FBD's submissions for reliefs arising from the settlement agreement, including clarifications on legal principles that may affect other pubs and restaurants with similar policies. FBD seeks declarations from the court regarding the subsidies paid by the State to businesses forced to close during the pandemic. The hearing of FBD's bid for relief will continue next week. The other two pub owners who had taken test actions – Lemon & Duke and Sean's Bar – had already resolved most of their claims, with only legal costs remaining.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Last remaining test cases against FBD over Covid insurance are settled. Procedural stage: hearing_or_decision

When:

2022-11-04 Publication

Why: FBD has asked the court for the reliefs because of the wider implications involved in the test cases, given that the outcome of the test actions has implications for hundreds of others pub and restaurants that had taken out business disruption cover with the insurer. CNI source report