The Great Wolf Lodge indoor waterpark resort chain has sued insurer Zurich American for allegedly failing to provide millions of dollars' worth of coverage for the chain's lost income amid the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdowns ordered by Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and others, according to a lawsuit filed Feb. 26 in Cook County Circuit Court.
The resort chain is owned by Wild Holdings LP and Great Wolf Resort Holdings, Inc.
The plaintiffs opened an insurance policy with defendant Zurich American Insurance Company in March of 2020 that, according to the suit, should cover financial losses accrued as a result of Great Wolf's resorts being closed across the nation for several months at a time, reopening at a reduced capacity, and, in some cases, being required to shut down again.
Great Wolf's resort in north suburban Gurnee, for instance, was closed from March 2020 to late August 2020, and was again ordered to close in November 2020, until February 2021.
Zurich denied the coverage claim submitted by Great Wolf, ignored a request for reconsideration and denied the plaintiff's request for an extension of the policy's one-year service of suit deadline, according to the suit, despite COVID-19 related losses coverable under the insurer's "All Risks" policy.
Great Wolf sued Zurich for breach of contract and declaratory judgement, and is requesting damages equal to the value of Zurich's alleged breach of policy.
The plaintiff is represented by attorney Bradley Dlatt, of Perkins Coie, of Chicago.