In light of the upcoming appeal, a federal judge in Camden, New Jersey, stayed proceedings in a separate business-interruption insurance case pending the outcome of the Supreme Court case.
"Here, Estep contends that his accident occurred while he was loading his car with luggage, which was part of a greater mission of returning home to Chesapeake with that luggage," Judge Frank K. Friedman wrote on behalf of the majority. "Simply put, transporting luggage is a valid and expected use of a vehicle, and one cannot transport the baggage without first packing the vehicle."
While Florida hurricanes are not unusual, this storm created claims complexities because of new statutory reforms, homeowners without flood insurance, and supply chain and worker shortages.