According to Billboard, a California judge has ruled that Lloyd’s Of London doesn’t cover METALLICA for financial losses suffered when the legendary heavy metal act was forced to postpone six shows in 2020 because of the pandemic.
The lawsuit stemmed from the cancellation of METALLICA‘s six-date tour of South America in April 2020. Just weeks prior to the tour’s scheduled launch, COVID-19-related travel restrictions were enacted in all parts of the world, giving METALLICA no choice but to postpone the dates.
According to METALLICA‘s complaint, which was filed in June 2020 in Los Angeles Superior Court, the band’s standard “cancellation, abandonment and non-appearance insurance” policy with Lloyd’s Of London was denied by the insurer, which cited the policy’s communicable disease exclusion. The lawsuit called the move “an unreasonably restrictive interpretation of the policy” and alleged breach of contract. METALLICA argued that Lloyd’s “cannot conclusively say that the Pandemic is the efficient proximate cause of the cancellations because there are other adequately alleged causes that are covered under the Policy.”
The complaint alleged “that travel restrictions, the duty to mitigate damages, the need to ‘flatten the curve’ and stay-at-home orders all caused the shows’ cancellations.”
In a November 30 decision obtained by Billboard, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Holly J. Fujie disagreed with METALLICA‘s arguments, writing: “The travel restrictions which caused the concert cancellations were a direct response to the burgeoning COVID-19 pandemic. The evidence … demonstrates that the COVID-19 pandemic spurred the travel restrictions to South America and restrictions on public gatherings. The COVID-19 pandemic was therefore the efficient proximate cause of the concerts’ cancellations.”
Shortly after METALLICA filed the lawsuit, a Lloyd’s representative clarified via a press statement: “Lloyd’s is not an insurance company, it oversees and regulates a market of independent insurers. For that reason, we have no information on any specific policy or lawsuit and in any event are not authorized to comment on matters in litigation.”
In its suit, METALLICA acknowledged Lloyd’s as “a market in which independent insurance underwriters join together syndicates to sell insurance, mainly through brokers, under the umbrella of the Lloyd’s brand name.”
METALLICA sought unspecified compensatory damages as well as a declaration of the rights and obligations of the parties.
This is not the first time Lloyd’s Of London has been involved in a lawsuit related to the cancellation of major rock concerts. Seven FOO FIGHTERS shows in 2016 were called off after front-man Dave Grohl broke his leg on June 12, 2015, during a show in Gothenberg, Sweden. Three of those dates were mentioned in a suit FOO FIGHTERS settled against the world-famous 336-year-old insurance market. Because it was dismissed with prejudice, the FOO FIGHTERS were barred from re-filing the case on the same claim. Terms were not disclosed, and after his leg was treated, Grohl went on to perform 53 concerts, mostly while seated on a makeshift “throne” onstage.
