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Legal battles loom as businesses hit by virus sue insurers

Legal battles loom as businesses hit by virus sue insurers
Posted at 7:45 AM, Apr 23, 2020
and last updated 2020-04-23 10:45:09-04

CHICAGO (AP) — A once-bustling Chicago bar and grill tucked below a Michigan Avenue overpass famously inspired a "Saturday Night Live" skit starring John Belushi and Bill Murray.

But the money the Billy Goat Tavern is losing during the coronavirus outbreak is no joke.

The tavern and millions of other shuttered businesses nationwide have turned to their insurers to help recoup their losses following state-mandated closures, which combined may exceed $300 billion a month.

But insurers have widely rejected the claims, so the Billy Goat has joined a growing line of businesses including barbershops and casinos suing insurers to force them to pay.