Mishcon de Reya is working with Harbour Litigation Funding to look into the claims of the Hiscox Action Group.
The Hiscox Action Group is a collective of Hiscox clients whose coronavirus-related business interruptions claims were rejected. The disputed policy insures against financial loss arising from an inability to use an insured property due to "an occurrence of any human infectious or human contagion disease". The group now consists of hundreds of policyholders.
Harbour’s initial funding will pay for Mishcon de Reya to review the claims of the Hiscox Action Group, and if that results in enough good claims to support a case, Harbour would look to commit sufficient funds to take the case through to final hearing.
Richard Leedham, Partner in Mishcon de Reya's Dispute Resolution department said, "We are pleased to be working again with Harbour. Hiscox have said that they did not intend to cover what has happened. That is irrelevant. We are looking at what is in the contract. They have provided a very broad form of wording and its natural meaning would cover someone whose business was interrupted by the lockdown."
Stephen O’Dowd, Senior Director of Litigation Funding at Harbour commented “It is fantastic to be working alongside Mishcon de Reya again, on an issue where seeking legal redress seems to be the only option remaining for hundreds of small businesses across the UK.”
Related coverage:
The Times - 10 May
The Times - 27 April
FT
The Lawyer