Smoking-Ban Insurance Claims Rejected

Wednesday, October 22 2008

CHARLESTON, W.Va.- A strip club, a gambling parlor and a bar recently filed insurance claims against the Kanawha-Charleston Health Department, alleging that the agency's expanded smoking ban has financially damaged their businesses.

A state agency, which insures the Health Department, has rejected the three claims.

"Just because they lost profit, it doesn't mean the Health Department is liable," said Charles E. Jones, director of the state Board of Risk & Insurance Management, which denied the claims earlier this month. "The Health Department is enforcing a statute and ordinance."

Smoking-Ban Insurance Claims Rejected continues...