The Maine Supreme Judicial Court recently became the first state high court to consider a force majeure clause in COVID-19 litigation, finding it did not preclude a restaurant from paying rent once shutdown orders were amended to limit the number of indoor dining guests allowed in the establishment.

The Connecticut High Court joined the ever-growing list of courts weighing in on COVID-19-related litigation. But it may be the first state high court in the country to determine that shutdown orders did not relieve restaurant owners from paying rent.

Schulman filed a separate lawsuit in district court against insurance carriers that issued professional liability policies to the law firm after he was denied coverage for his defense fees incurred in connection with the indictment.

The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court and the Iowa Supreme Court became the first state high courts in the country last week to decide whether businesses can recover COVID-19-related business losses under their insurance policies.

An Appeals Court has sided with a windshield repair company, finding that GEICO owes appellate attorney fees for three unpaid claims cases.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit upheld a district court's ruling granting a defendant auctioneer's motion to dismiss, finding the COVID-19 pandemic created "a circumstance beyond the parties' reasonable control" as outlined in the force majeure clause of an agreement for the sale of a painting.

Considering the going-and-coming and traveling provisions of workers' compensation laws, Florida's First District Court of Appeals found that a compensation claims judge erred in finding an employee was owed compensation for injuries he sustained while traveling from his final service call in an employee-owned vehicle.

The case was filed by Allstate Insurance Co., which sought a determination on whether it was obligated to defend and indemnify an insured who was charged with criminal assault.