As protesters across the United States call out systemic racism and police violence against Black people, and Pride Month honoring the LGBTQ+ community begins, diversity and inclusion issues are—and should be—drawing headlines and dominating conversations around the world.
RIMS CEO Mary Roth and 2020 President Laura Langone released a statement Friday saying:
“To the Black members of our community, we cannot fully appreciate how pained you must be by not only this most recent act—but by all acts that reflect bigotry and hatred in our nations’ communities. What we can do is accept the responsibility to ensure that RIMS community reflects something different. Let us be clear: RIMS does not tolerate any form of racism or discrimination in our global community. And we will always look for ways to improve.”
The editors of Risk Management and the Risk Management Monitor echo this message and stand with our Black colleagues, RIMS members and the Black community at large.
As we all look to support, advocate, learn and do better, we have compiled a list of resources to help, including industry advocacy groups for Black risk and insurance professionals, as well as resources for strengthening your organization’s policies, procedures and diversity and inclusion programs. . . . .
Anderson Kill P.C.’s Finley T. Harckham also noted that in case law, people becoming sick on a property will not count as property damage, but contaminants at a property (including pathogens like COVID-19) could qualify.
U.S. companies, Lewis said, will be dealing with “contingent exposures, meaning the property affected is their customers’ or suppliers’ and not their own property.” However, if those companies have their own property, coverage is likely dependent on whether it was “closed by the order of a civil authority because of the actual presence of a virus and not the suspected presence of a virus.” Harckham noted that these restrictions would likely trigger civil authority coverage, which many insurance policies contain. . . . .