Lawsuit filed over Janesville bar fire

Jan. 19--JANESVILLE -- The owner of a Janesville bar that burned down last winter is suing his insurance company, claiming company officials have not paid him and made defamatory claims of arson.

Zachary Lyons, owner of the Dog House Bar and Grill recently filed a civil lawsuit in Waseca County District Court against Badger Mutual Insurance Company. The lawsuit claims defamation and breach of contract.

Lyons' bar caught fire the early morning of Dec. 27, 2017. Much of the building already was engulfed when firefighters arrived. The adjacent Wiste's Meat Market also was damaged.

The State Fire Marshal Office investigated the fire but could not determine its cause.

"Because of the large destruction and collapse of the structure's interior, the ignition source and first material ignited could not be determined," the investigation report concluded.

Lyons' lawsuit claims he had paid his premium for an insurance policy that included fire coverage, but he still has not received any compensation.

Lyons has cooperated with his insurance company as it also independently investigated the cause of the fire, the lawsuit claims.

Lyons reportedly has provided over 600 pages of requested documents. The bar owner did refuse to give the company his laptop and cellphone, the lawsuit acknowledges, because they reportedly contain privileged communications between Lyons and his attorney.

The lawsuit also alleges that a Badger representative made defamatory statements to the Janesville fire chief implying that the bar was not doing well and Lyons intentionally set the fire.

Badger Mutual Insurance Company has not filed a rebuttal to the lawsuit. The Free Press invited attorneys representing the company to provide a response, but no comments were provided by press time.

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