Title: Admiral Insurance Company v. Ryan Price-Williams
Citation: N/A
Docket Number: 1110993
State: Alabama
Issuer: Alabama Supreme Court
Date: May 17, 2013

REL: 05/17/2013 
Notice: T h i s 
o p i n i o n i s s u b j e c t t o f o r m a l 
r e v i s i o n b e f o r e 
p u b l i c a t i o n i n 
t h e 
advance 
s h e e t s o f 
Southern Reporter. 
R e a d e r s a r e r e q u e s t e d t o 
n o t i f y t h e 
Reporter of 
Decisions, 
Alabama A p p e l l a t e C o u r t s , 300 D e x t e r Avenue, Montgomery, Alabama 36104-3741 ((334) 229¬
0 6 4 9 ) , o f 
any 
t y p o g r a p h i c a l o r o t h e r e r r o r s , i n 
o r d e r t h a t c o r r e c t i o n s may 
be 
made b e f o r e 
t h e o p i n i o n i s 
p r i n t e d i n 
Southern Reporter. 
SUPREME COURT OF ALABAMA 
OCTOBER TERM, 2012-2013 
1110993 
Admiral Insurance Company 
v. 
Ryan Price-Williams 
Appeal from Mobile C i r c u i t Court 
(CV-09-901938) 
On A p p l i c a t i o n f o r R e h e a r i n g 
STUART, J u s t i c e . 
The o p i n i o n o f J a n u a r y 11, 
2013, 
i s 
withdrawn, and t h e 
f o l l o w i n g i s 
s u b s t i t u t e d t h e r e f o r . 
Ryan P r i c e - W i l l i a m s sued A d m i r a l I n s u r a n c e Company 
and 
G a b r i e l Dean and C h a r l e s Baber i n 
t h e 
M o b i l e 
C i r c u i t C o u r t 
1110993 
p u r s u a n t t o Alabama's d i r e c t - a c t i o n s t a t u t e , § 27-23-2, A l a . 
Code 1975.
1 
Both Dean 
and 
Baber were 
a l l e g e d 
by 
P r i c e -
W i l l i a m s 
t o be c o v e r e d under a commercial 
g e n e r a l - l i a b i l i t y 
i n s u r a n c e 
p o l i c y A d m i r a l had 
i s s u e d the n a t i o n a l Kappa Sigma 
f r a t e r n i t y t o w h i c h Dean and Baber b e l o n g e d . 
P r i c e - W i l l i a m s 
a l l e g e d t h a t A d m i r a l was 
o b l i g a t e d t o pay a judgment t h a t 
had 
been e n t e r e d 
i n f a v o r of P r i c e - W i l l i a m s and a g a i n s t Dean 
and 
Baber 
i n 
a 
p r e v i o u s 
a c t i o n 
("the 
u n d e r l y i n g 
a c t i o n " ) . 
F o l l o w i n g a bench t r i a l , the t r i a l c o u r t e n t e r e d a judgment i n 
f a v o r of P r i c e - W i l l i a m s and a g a i n s t A d m i r a l , h o l d i n g t h a t 
the 
A d m i r a l p o l i c y p r o v i d e d 
coverage t o Dean and Baber f o r 
the 
^ P r i c e - W i l l i a m s named Dean and Baber as d e f e n d a n t s based 
on t h e i r s t a t u s as i n d i s p e n s a b l e p a r t i e s under § 27-23-2, A l a . 
Code 1975. 
S e c t i o n 27-23-2 
p r o v i d e s : 
"Upon the r e c o v e r y 
of a f i n a l judgment 
a g a i n s t 
any p e r s o n ... by any p e r s o n ... 
f o r l o s s or damage 
on a c c o u n t of b o d i l y i n j u r y , ... i f the d e f e n d a n t i n 
such a c t i o n was 
i n s u r e d a g a i n s t 
the l o s s or damage 
a t 
the 
time when the 
r i g h t of 
a c t i o n 
a r o s e , 
the 
judgment 
c r e d i t o r 
s h a l l 
be 
e n t i t l e d 
t o have 
the 
i n s u r a n c e 
money p r o v i d e d 
f o r 
i n 
the 
c o n t r a c t 
of 
i n s u r a n c e 
between 
the 
i n s u r e r 
and 
the 
d e f e n d a n t 
a p p l i e d t o the s a t i s f a c t i o n of the judgment, and i f 
the judgment i s not 
s a t i s f i e d w i t h i n 30 days a f t e r 
the date when i t i s e n t e r e d , 
the judgment c r e d i t o r 
may p r o c e e d a g a i n s t the d e f e n d a n t and the i n s u r e r t o 
r e a c h 
and 
a p p l y 
the 
i n s u r a n c e 
money 
t o 
the 
s a t i s f a c t i o n of the judgment." 
2 
1110993 
n e g l i g e n t 
and/or wanton a c t s 
t h a t formed t h e b a s i s of t h e 
u n d e r l y i n g 
a c t i o n . 
We r e v e r s e and remand. 
I . 
On 
J a n u a r y 31, 2004, 
P r i c e - W i l l i a m s was 
a t t a c k e d 
and 
b e a t e n a t a f r a t e r n i t y house m a i n t a i n e d by t h e U n i v e r s i t y of 
South Alabama c h a p t e r o f Kappa Sigma i n M o b i l e ( t h e l o c a l 
c h a p t e r i s h e r e i n a f t e r r e f e r r e d t o as "Kappa Nu"; t h e n a t i o n a l 
f r a t e r n i t y i s r e f e r r e d t o as "Kappa Sigma"). 
P r i c e - W i l l i a m s 
s u f f e r e d s i g n i f i c a n t , permanent i n j u r i e s as a r e s u l t of t h e 
a s s a u l t 
and 
i n c u r r e d 
m e d i c a l 
expenses 
o f 
a p p r o x i m a t e l y 
$27,145. 
On November 28, 2005, 
P r i c e - W i l l i a m s 
sued Kappa 
Sigma and Kappa Nu and Dean, Baber, and M i c h a e l Howard, t h e 
t h r e e i n d i v i d u a l s a l l e g e d t o have committed the a s s a u l t , i n 
the M o b i l e C i r c u i t C o u r t .
2 
P r i c e - W i l l i a m s ' s c o m p l a i n t sought 
r e c o v e r y b a s e d on t h e a s s a u l t and a s s e r t e d n e g l i g e n c e and/or 
wantonness 
c l a i m s 
b a s e d on Dean's and Baber's f a i l u r e 
as 
o f f i c e r s of Kappa Nu t o implement t h e risk-management program 
Kappa Sigma r e q u i r e d o f l o c a l c h a p t e r s , w h i c h program, P r i c e -
W i l l i a m s 
a l l e g e d , would have e i t h e r p r e v e n t e d t h e 
a s s a u l t 
2Dean and Baber were, r e s p e c t i v e l y , p r e s i d e n t 
and v i c e 
p r e s i d e n t of Kappa Nu a t t h e time o f t h e a s s a u l t . 
N e i t h e r 
P r i c e - W i l l i a m s nor Howard were members o f Kappa Nu. 
3 
1110993 
e n t i r e l y 
o r , 
a t 
a 
minimum, 
l i m i t e d 
i t s 
d u r a t i o n 
and 
i n t e n s i t y .
3 
S h o r t l y 
a f t e r 
i t r e c e i v e d 
the 
c o m p l a i n t , 
Kappa Sigma 
n o t i f i e d i t s i n s u r e r A d m i r a l of a p o s s i b l e o c c u r r e n c e under 
i t s commercial g e n e r a l - l i a b i l i t y p o l i c y ; however, because i t s 
p o l i c y w i t h A d m i r a l c o n t a i n e d a s e l f - i n s u r e d r e t e n t i o n c l a u s e , 
Kappa Sigma t o o k 
i n i t i a l 
r e s p o n s i b i l i t y 
f o r the d e f e n s e 
of 
P r i c e - W i l l i a m s ' s c l a i m s .
4 
Kappa Sigma t h e r e f o r e r e t a i n e d i t s 
own 
c o u n s e l , w h i c h a l s o r e p r e s e n t e d Kappa Nu. 
However, t h a t 
c o u n s e l 
d i d not 
r e p r e s e n t 
e i t h e r Dean or Baber, n e i t h e r 
of 
whom made a c l a i m upon A d m i r a l f o r coverage based upon t h e i r 
s t a t u s as 
o f f i c e r s of Kappa Nu. 
In f a c t , Dean, Baber, 
and 
Howard never r e t a i n e d c o u n s e l , never answered the 
c o m p l a i n t , 
and never appeared i n the a c t i o n , and a d e f a u l t judgment 
was 
a c c o r d i n g l y e n t e r e d a g a i n s t them. 
A summary judgment was 
a l s o 
3 I n the weeks a f t e r the a s s a u l t , Dean, Baber, and Howard 
were 
a r r e s t e d 
and 
c h a r g e d 
w i t h 
second-degree 
a s s a u l t . 
A p p r o x i m a t e l y f o u r months l a t e r , Dean and Baber were e x p e l l e d 
from Kappa Sigma because 
t h e i r 
i n v o l v e m e n t 
i n the 
a s s a u l t 
v i o l a t e d the Kappa Sigma code of conduct. 
4See g e n e r a l l y B l a c k ' s Law 
D i c t i o n a r y 1482 
(9th ed. 2009) 
( d e f i n i n g 
" s e l f - i n s u r e d r e t e n t i o n " as 
" [ t ] h e amount of 
an 
o t h e r w i s e - c o v e r e d l o s s t h a t 
i s not 
c o v e r e d by 
an 
i n s u r a n c e 
p o l i c y and t h a t u s u [ a l l y ] must be p a i d b e f o r e the i n s u r e r 
w i l l 
pay b e n e f i t s " ) . 
4 
1110993 
e n t e r e d 
i n f a v o r of Kappa Sigma, and, 
by the time the j u r y 
t r i a l 
began 
on November 
17, 
2008, Kappa Nu 
was 
the 
o n l y 
r e m a i n i n g 
d e f e n d a n t .
5 
A f t e r c l o s i n g arguments were made a t the c o n c l u s i o n 
of 
the t r i a l , Kappa Nu r e a c h e d a s e t t l e m e n t w i t h P r i c e - W i l l i a m s . 
Upon n o t i f y i n g the 
t r i a l 
c o u r t of the s e t t l e m e n t 
agreement, 
P r i c e - W i l l i a m s moved the 
t r i a l 
c o u r t 
t o w i t h d r a w h i s j u r y 
demand and t o e n t e r a f i n a l judgment a g a i n s t Dean, Baber, 
and 
Howard based upon the e v i d e n c e adduced a t t r i a l .
6 
The 
t r i a l 
c o u r t g r a n t e d the m o t i o n , d i s m i s s e d the j u r y , and t h e r e a f t e r 
e n t e r e d a 10-page o r d e r c o n t a i n i n g the f o l l o w i n g f i n d i n g s of 
f a c t and j u d g m e n t : 
"11. 
As t o [ P r i c e - W i l l i a m s ' s ] second and 
t h i r d 
causes of a c t i o n , the c o u r t f i n d s t h a t b o t h Dean and 
Baber, 
as 
o f f i c e r s 
of 
the 
l o c a l 
f r a t e r n i t y , 
had 
assumed 
and/or 
were 
under 
a 
d u t y 
t o 
c r e a t e , 
implement, s u p e r v i s e , and e n f o r c e what was 
d e s c r i b e d 
d u r i n g 
t r i a l 
as 
t h e 
c h a p t e r ' s 
' r i s k 
management 
program.' 
The 
c o u r t f u r t h e r f i n d s , based upon the 
t e s t i m o n y 
o f f e r e d a t 
t r i a l 
as w e l l as documentary 
5 A d m i r a l assumed r e s p o n s i b i l i t y f o r the i n v e s t i g a t i o n and 
d e f e n s e of P r i c e - W i l l i a m s ' s c l a i m s i n a p p r o x i m a t e l y J u l y 2008 
a f t e r Kappa Sigma's c o s t s r e l a t e d t o t h a t c l a i m exceeded the 
amount s e t f o r t h i n the s e l f - i n s u r e d r e t e n t i o n c l a u s e i n the 
A d m i r a l 
p o l i c y . 
^ A p p a r e n t l y , 
the 
t r i a l 
c o u r t had 
s e t a s i d e the 
d e f a u l t 
judgment 
p r e v i o u s l y 
e n t e r e d 
a g a i n s t 
the 
t h r e e 
i n d i v i d u a l 
d e f e n d a n t s . 
5 
1110993 
e v i d e n c e 
i n t r o d u c e d 
d u r i n g 
t r i a l , 
i n c l u d i n g 
the 
E x e c u t i v e 
O f f i c e r s ' Manual ... 
and 
the Kappa Sigma 
F r a t e r n i t y R i s k Management Manual 
... , t h a t 
t h e s e 
d e f e n d a n t s b o t h n e g l i g e n t l y and 
w a n t o n l y b r e a c h e d 
t h e i r 
i n d i v i d u a l 
d u t i e s 
t o 
c r e a t e , 
implement, 
s u p e r v i s e , 
and 
e n f o r c e 
a r i s k management program, 
and 
t h a t 
as 
a 
p r o x i m a t e 
consequence 
of 
s a i d 
b r e a c h e s , 
[ P r i c e - W i l l i a m s ] 
was 
caused 
t o 
s u f f e r 
t h o s e i n j u r i e s and damages as p r o v e n i n t h i s case. 
"12. 
More p a r t i c u l a r l y , 
the c o u r t f i n d s t h a t 
b o t h Dean and 
Baber, i n a c c e p t i n g 
t h e i r 
r o l e s 
as 
e x e c u t i v e 
o f f i c e r s of the 
l o c a l 
f r a t e r n i t y , 
a g r e e d 
and assumed the d u t i e s imposed upon them t h a t 
are 
found 
i n 
the 
E x e c u t i v e 
O f f i c e r s ' Manual 
and 
the 
Kappa Sigma F r a t e r n i t y R i s k Management Manual, w h i c h 
i n c l u d e d 
the 
i m p l e m e n t a t i o n 
and 
enforcement 
of 
a 
r i s k management program. 
"13. 
The 
e v i d e n c e 
i n t r o d u c e d 
a t 
t r i a l 
e s t a b l i s h e d t h a t Dean, the p r e s i d e n t 
of the 
l o c a l 
f r a t e r n i t y , 
was 
c o n s i d e r e d 
the 
c h i e f 
e x e c u t i v e 
o f f i c e r of the c h a p t e r . 
As p r e s i d e n t , Dean assumed 
and c a r r i e d the u l t i m a t e d u t y b o t h i n d i v i d u a l l y 
and 
on b e h a l f of the 
l o c a l and n a t i o n a l f r a t e r n i t y 
f o r 
the i m p l e m e n t a t i o n and s u p e r v i s i o n of the 
c h a p t e r ' s 
r i s k management program. 
T h i s means t h a t i t was 
h i s 
r e s p o n s i b i l i t y , 
a c t i n g 
w i t h i n 
the 
scope 
of 
h i s 
d u t i e s as p r e s i d e n t , t o t a k e 
s t e p s t o w a r d c r e a t i n g 
and 
e n f o r c i n g 
a 
r i s k management program 
f o r 
the 
l o c a l f r a t e r n i t y a t the U n i v e r s i t y of South Alabama. 
He 
was 
r e s p o n s i b l e 
f o r 
w o r k i n g 
w i t h 
the 
r i s k 
management committee chairman on the development of 
the 
c h a p t e r ' s 
r i s k 
management 
program, 
and 
i n 
c a r r y i n g out the g o a l s of p r e v e n t i n g 
i n j u r i e s a t the 
c h a p t e r house. 
"14. 
A d d i t i o n a l l y , s u b s t a n t i a l e v i d e n c e 
was 
i n t r o d u c e d t h a t e s t a b l i s h e d t h a t Baber, as the v i c e 
p r e s i d e n t , 
was 
the 
second 
i n 
command 
a t 
the 
f r a t e r n i t y 
house 
on 
the 
n i g h t 
i n q u e s t i o n . 
The 
c o u r t 
f i n d s t h a t h i s d u t i e s i n c l u d e d not 
o n l y 
the 
6 
1110993 
i m p l e m e n t a t i o n 
of a 
r i s k management program, 
but 
a l s o the a c t u a l enforcement 
o f the program on the 
n i g h t 
i n 
q u e s t i o n . 
... 
[ P r i c e - W i l l i a m s ] 
p r o v e d 
t h r o u g h the e v i d e n c e a t t r i a l t h a t n e i t h e r of t h e s e 
o f f i c e r s took any s t e p s i n c a r r y i n g out t h e i r 
d u t i e s 
of 
e n s u r i n g 
t h a t 
o r d e r 
was 
m a i n t a i n e d 
a t 
the 
f r a t e r n i t y house on the e v e n i n g i n q u e s t i o n . 
"15. 
To the c o n t r a r y , the e v i d e n c e c l e a r l y and 
c o n v i n c i n g l y 
e s t a b l i s h e d t h a t b o t h Dean and Baber 
had been d r i n k i n g t h i s 
p a r t i c u l a r 
n i g h t , and 
t h a t 
one 
o r 
b o t h 
of 
them knew 
t h a t 
an 
a s s a u l t 
was 
p r o b a b l y g o i n g t o o c c u r on 
[ P r i c e - W i l l i a m s ] once he 
w a l k e d 
t h r o u g h 
the 
f r o n t door 
o f the 
f r a t e r n i t y 
house. 
The 
f a c t t h a t no r i s k management program o r 
e d u c a t i o n had been implemented 
o n l y a g g r a v a t e d the 
s i t u a t i o n once the a s s a u l t began, s i n c e n e i t h e r Dean 
nor Baber had 
l e f t 
any 
r e s p o n s i b l e 
i n d i v i d u a l 
i n 
charge of m a i n t a i n i n g o r d e r a t the f r a t e r n i t y house 
as was 
r e q u i r e d under a r e a s o n a b l e r i s k management 
program w h i c h , i n the c o u r t ' s 
o p i n i o n , would have 
m i n i m i z e d 
and/or 
p r e v e n t e d 
the 
a s s a u l t 
from 
o c c u r r i n g i n t h e f i r s t i n s t a n c e . 
... 
"16. 
The Kappa Sigma n a t i o n a l 
f r a t e r n i t y , 
a 
former 
defendant 
i n t h i s 
a c t i o n , 
g r a n t e d t o 
the 
l o c a l 
f r a t e r n i t y 
the 
a u t h o r i t y 
and 
r i g h t 
t o 
e s t a b l i s h 
and 
o p e r a t e 
a 
l o c a l 
f r a t e r n i t y 
a t 
the 
U n i v e r s i t y o f South Alabama. 
The e v i d e n c e a t 
t r i a l 
c l e a r l y e s t a b l i s h e d t h a t b o t h Dean and Baber, as the 
p r e s i d e n t 
and 
v i c e 
p r e s i d e n t 
of 
the 
l o c a l 
f r a t e r n i t y , p u r s u a n t t o the a u t h o r i t y bestowed upon 
them by the n a t i o n a l and 
l o c a l 
f r a t e r n i t y , assumed 
the 
d u t y 
t o 
c r e a t e , 
implement, 
s u p e r v i s e , 
and 
e n f o r c e a r i s k management program r e l a t i v e 
t o the 
o p e r a t i o n 
of 
the 
l o c a l 
f r a t e r n i t y . 
These 
i n d i v i d u a l s were o b l i g a t e d t o a c t i n accordance 
w i t h 
t h e s e d u t i e s which were r e q u i r e d t o be p e r f o r m e d as 
p a r t 
of 
t h e i r 
d u t i e s 
on 
b e h a l f 
of the 
l o c a l 
and 
n a t i o n a l f r a t e r n i t y . 
The c o u r t f i n d s t h a t t h e s e two 
i n d i v i d u a l 
d e f e n d a n t s , 
Dean 
and 
Baber, 
b o t h 
n e g l i g e n t l y and w a n t o n l y b r e a c h e d 
t h e i r 
i n d i v i d u a l 
7 
1110993 
d u t i e s by 
f a i l i n g t o c r e a t e , implement, 
s u p e r v i s e , 
and 
e n f o r c e 
an a p p r o p r i a t e 
r i s k management program 
as 
a l l e g e d 
by 
[ P r i c e - W i l l i a m s ] 
i n h i s 
c o m p l a i n t . 
The 
c o u r t f u r t h e r f i n d s t h a t t h e s e two i n d i v i d u a l ' s 
n e g l i g e n c e 
and wantonness was committed w h i l e a c t i n g 
w i t h i n the scope of t h e s e two i n d i v i d u a l ' s d u t i e s 
on 
b e h a l f of the 
f r a t e r n i t y . 
" A c c o r d i n g l y , the c o u r t hereby f i n d s i n f a v o r of 
the p l a i n t i f f , Ryan P r i c e - W i l l i a m s , and a g a i n s t 
the 
t h r e e i n d i v i d u a l d e f e n d a n t s , j o i n t l y and s e v e r a l l y , 
as 
t o 
the 
c l a i m s 
r a i s e d 
i n 
[ P r i c e - W i l l i a m s ' s ] 
c o m p l a i n t . 
The 
c o u r t 
hereby 
awards 
t o 
[ P r i c e -
W i l l i a m s ] 
and 
a g a i n s t 
the 
i n d i v i d u a l d e f e n d a n t s 
t o t a l 
compensatory 
damages 
i n 
the 
amount 
of 
$500,000. 
The 
c o u r t f u r t h e r f i n d s t h a t an award of 
p u n i t i v e damages i s w a r r a n t e d based upon the 
c l e a r 
and 
c o n v i n c i n g 
e v i d e n c e 
of 
wantonness 
of 
the 
i n d i v i d u a l d e f e n d a n t s as t o a l l t h r e e c l a i m s 
r a i s e d 
i n 
[ P r i c e - W i l l i a m s ' s ] c o m p l a i n t , 
and hereby awards 
t o 
[ P r i c e - W i l l i a m s ] 
and 
a g a i n s t 
the 
i n d i v i d u a l 
d e f e n d a n t s 
p u n i t i v e 
damages 
i n 
the 
amount 
of 
$750,000, w h i c h i s one and o n e - h a l f t i m e s the amount 
of compensatory damages t o be 
awarded t o 
[ P r i c e -
W i l l i a m s ] . 
The 
t o t a l 
amount 
of 
the 
v e r d i c t 
i s 
t h e r e f o r e $1,250,000. 
I t i s the i n t e n t i o n of 
t h i s 
C o u r t t h a t t h i s v e r d i c t r e p r e s e n t s 
the t o t a l damages 
t o be awarded t o 
[ P r i c e - W i l l i a m s ] i n t h i s case f o r 
a l l damage[] 
s u f f e r e d 
by 
him 
as 
a 
r e s u l t of 
the 
J a n u a r y 31, 2004, i n c i d e n t , and t h a t the i n d i v i d u a l 
d e f e n d a n t s are 
e n t i t l e d t o a s e t o f f of the amount 
p a i d t o 
[ P r i c e - W i l l i a m s ] by 
[Kappa Nu] 
as a r e s u l t 
of the c o n f i d e n t i a l pro t a n t o 
s e t t l e m e n t . " 
S u b s e q u e n t l y , t h e r e was 
a d i s p u t e between P r i c e - W i l l i a m s 
and 
Kappa 
Nu 
r e g a r d i n g 
the 
s e t t l e m e n t 
agreement 
and, 
s p e c i f i c a l l y , whether as p a r t of the s e t t l e m e n t 
P r i c e - W i l l i a m s 
had 
a g r e e d t o r e l e a s e 
o n l y Kappa Sigma and Kappa Nu 
o r , 
as 
8 
1110993 
Kappa Nu 
m a i n t a i n e d , 
t o r e l e a s e Kappa Sigma, Kappa Nu, 
and 
Dean and Baber i n t h e i r 
c a p a c i t i e s as agents of Kappa 
Nu. 
M o t i o n s were f i l e d by b o t h p a r t i e s w i t h the t r i a l c o u r t , which 
e v e n t u a l l y 
r u l e d 
i n 
f a v o r 
of 
P r i c e - W i l l i a m s . 
Kappa 
Nu 
a p p e a l e d 
t h a t judgment 
t o 
t h i s 
C o u r t , 
which 
a f f i r m e d 
the 
d e c i s i o n of the 
t r i a l c o u r t , 
s t a t i n g : 
"At 
the 
h e a r i n g 
on 
the 
p a r t i e s ' motions 
t o 
e n f o r c e the s e t t l e m e n t agreement h e l d on F e b r u a r y 6, 
2009, the 
t r i a l 
c o u r t c o r r e c t l y n o t e d t h a t 
c o u n s e l 
f o r 
[Kappa Nu] 
d i d 
not 
r e p r e s e n t 
the 
i n d i v i d u a l 
d e f e n d a n t s and 
t h a t c o u n s e l 
t h e r e f o r e had no 
b a s i s 
on 
w h i c h 
t o 
argue 
on 
b e h a l f 
of 
the 
i n d i v i d u a l 
d e f e n d a n t s . 
The 
t r i a l 
c o u r t 
a l s o 
c o r r e c t l y 
c o n c l u d e d t h a t a r e l e a s e by P r i c e - W i l l i a m s of a l l 
c l a i m s 
a g a i n s t 
[Kappa 
Nu], 
i n c l u d i n g 
a l l c l a i m s 
based 
on 
t h e o r i e s 
of 
v i c a r i o u s 
l i a b i l i t y , 
would 
f u l l y 
p r o t e c t 
the 
c h a p t e r 
from 
l i a b i l i t y 
— 
even 
l i a b i l i t y 
a r i s i n g 
from 
a c t i o n s 
of 
the 
i n d i v i d u a l 
d e f e n d a n t s 
t o 
the 
e x t e n t 
t h e y 
are 
agents 
of 
the 
c h a p t e r . 
In l i g h t of the c o l l o q u y t h a t took 
p l a c e 
on November 20, 
2008 [when the 
p a r t i e s announced 
t h a t 
a s e t t l e m e n t 
had been r e a c h e d ] , 
we 
c o n c l u d e 
t h a t 
the 
t r i a l 
c o u r t ' s 
i n t e r p r e t a t i o n 
of 
the 
s e t t l e m e n t 
agreement 
was 
not 
c l e a r l y 
e r r o n e o u s , 
w i t h o u t 
s u p p o r t i n g 
e v i d e n c e , 
m a n i f e s t l y u n j u s t , 
or 
a g a i n s t the g r e a t w e i g h t of 
e v i d e n c e . " 
Kappa Sigma F r a t e r n i t y v. P r i c e - W i l l i a m s , 40 So. 3d 683, 
693 
( A l a . 
2009). 
On October 6, 2009, a p p r o x i m a t e l y 
two months b e f o r e 
our 
d e c i s i o n i n Kappa Sigma was r e l e a s e d , P r i c e - W i l l i a m s f i l e d the 
i n s t a n t a c t i o n p u r s u a n t t o § 27-23-2, a l l e g i n g t h a t , by v i r t u e 
9 
1110993 
of 
t h e i r s t a t u s as o f f i c e r s of Kappa Nu, Dean and Baber were 
a d d i t i o n a l 
i n s u r e d s under the 
commercial 
g e n e r a l - l i a b i l i t y 
i n s u r a n c e p o l i c y Kappa Sigma h e l d w i t h A d m i r a l on the date of 
the a s s a u l t . 
A d m i r a l 
f i l e d a response d e n y i n g t h a t Dean and 
Baber were c o v e r e d under Kappa Sigma's p o l i c y .
7 
On May 
3, 
2011, 
the 
t r i a l 
c o u r t 
c o n d u c t e d 
a bench 
t r i a l ; 
however, 
A d m i r a l 
d i d not 
a t t e n d the 
t r i a l , 
h a v i n g been under 
the 
m i s t a k e n 
b e l i e f t h a t the case would be d e c i d e d t h r o u g h 
the 
s u b m i s s i o n of b r i e f s .
8 
N o t w i t h s t a n d i n g A d m i r a l ' s absence, the 
t r i a l 
c o u r t p r o c e e d e d 
t o hear 
t e s t i m o n y 
from Baber and 
t o 
r e c e i v e e x h i b i t s , d e p o s i t i o n s , and documentary e v i d e n c e 
from 
the p a r t i e s i n a t t e n d a n c e . 
A d m i r a l 
and 
P r i c e - W i l l i a m s t h e r e a f t e r 
s u b m i t t e d 
t r i a l 
b r i e f s i n s u p p o r t of t h e i r p o s i t i o n s , and, on March 9, 
2012, 
the t r i a l c o u r t e n t e r e d an o r d e r s t a t i n g i t s f i n d i n g s of f a c t 
and c o n c l u s i o n s of law and e n t e r i n g a judgment i n f a v o r of 
P r i c e - W i l l i a m s . 
In t h a t 
f i n a l 
judgment, 
the 
t r i a l 
c o u r t 
7Baber 
f i l e d 
a 
c r o s s - c l a i m a g a i n s t A d m i r a l 
s e e k i n g 
a 
r u l i n g t h a t A d m i r a l was 
r e q u i r e d t o i n d e m n i f y him 
f o r the 
judgment e n t e r e d a g a i n s t him i n the u n d e r l y i n g a c t i o n . 
The 
t r i a l c o u r t d e c i d e d t h i s c l a i m i n f a v o r of A d m i r a l , and Baber 
has not a p p e a l e d t h a t judgment. 
8 C o u n s e l f o r A d m i r a l was c o n t a c t e d by the t r i a l c o u r t on 
the morning of the 
t r i a l . 
10 
1110993 
r e c o g n i z e d 
t h a t 
an 
a s s a u l t - a n d - b a t t e r y 
e x c l u s i o n 
i n 
the 
A d m i r a l 
p o l i c y 
e x c l u d e d 
coverage 
f o r 
any 
b o d i l y 
i n j u r y 
r e s u l t i n g from Dean's and Baber's a s s a u l t on 
P r i c e - W i l l i a m s 
but 
h e l d t h a t the 
e x c l u s i o n d i d not 
a p p l y 
t o b o d i l y i n j u r y 
caused by Howard's a s s a u l t or b o d i l y i n j u r y a t t r i b u t a b l e t o 
Dean's and Baber's n e g l i g e n c e 
and wantonness i n 
f a i l i n g 
t o 
implement a p r o p e r risk-management program, which f a i l u r e , 
the 
t r i a l c o u r t c o n c l u d e d , " a c t u a l l y f a c i l i t a t e d Howard's conduct 
of a s s a u l t i n g [ P r i c e - W i l l i a m s ] . " No postjudgment motions were 
f i l e d , 
and, 
on 
A p r i l 
19, 
2012, 
A d m i r a l 
f i l e d 
i t s n o t i c e 
of 
a p p e a l t o t h i s C o u r t . 
I I . 
The 
t r i a l 
c o u r t 
i n t h i s case c o n s i d e r e d 
b o t h o r a l 
and 
w r i t t e n e v i d e n c e ; however, our 
r e s o l u t i o n of the 
i s s u e s 
on 
a p p e a l 
h i n g e s 
s o l e l y 
on 
the 
a p p l i c a t i o n 
of 
unambiguous 
language i n the A d m i r a l commercial g e n e r a l - l i a b i l i t y 
i n s u r a n c e 
p o l i c y t o u n d i s p u t e d f a c t s . 
A c c o r d i n g l y , 
the ore tenus r u l e 
i s 
i n a p p l i c a b l e h e r e , 
and 
the 
t r i a l 
c o u r t ' s 
judgment 
i s 
a f f o r d e d 
no 
p r e s u m p t i o n 
of 
c o r r e c t n e s s . 
Our 
r e v i e w , 
t h e r e f o r e , i s de novo. 
See a l s o McDonald v. U.S. 
Die 
C a s t i n g  
& Dev. 
Co., 
585 
So. 
2d 853, 
855 
( A l a . 1991) 
("If the 
terms 
11 
1110993 
w i t h i n a c o n t r a c t are p l a i n and unambiguous, the c o n s t r u c t i o n 
of the c o n t r a c t and i t s l e g a l e f f e c t become q u e s t i o n s 
of 
law 
f o r the c o u r t 
" ) . 
I I I . 
A d m i r a l argues t h a t the 
t r i a l c o u r t ' s judgment s h o u l d 
be 
r e v e r s e d because, i t s a y s , 
the gravamen of 
P r i c e - W i l l i a m s ' s 
c l a i m s 
i s t h a t he 
s u f f e r e d b o d i l y i n j u r y as a r e s u l t of 
an 
a s s a u l t 
and 
b a t t e r y 
and Kappa Sigma's p o l i c y w i t h 
A d m i r a l 
c o n t a i n s 
the f o l l o w i n g e x c l u s i o n : 
" T h i s i n s u r a n c e does 
not 
a p p l y 
t o 
' b o d i l y 
i n j u r y , ' 
' p r o p e r t y 
damage,' 
' p e r s o n a l 
i n j u r y , ' 
or 
' a d v e r t i s i n g i n j u r y ' 
a r i s i n g out 
of any 
a c t 
of 
a s s a u l t and/or b a t t e r y by any i n s u r e d or a d d i t i o n a l i n s u r e d . " 
A c c o r d i n g l y , A d m i r a l argues, the t r i a l c o u r t e r r e d i n f i n d i n g 
t h a t coverage e x i s t e d because i t i s u n d i s p u t e d 
t h a t P r i c e -
W i l l i a m s ' s i n j u r i e s a r o s e out of an a s s a u l t i n w h i c h Dean and 
Baber p a r t i c i p a t e d . 
In s u p p o r t of 
t h i s argument, A d m i r a l 
c i t e s Gregory 
v. 
 
Western W o r l d I n s u r a n c e Co., 
481 
So. 
2d 878 
( A l a . 1985), i n 
w h i c h 
t h i s 
C o u r t 
a f f i r m e d 
a 
judgment 
d e c l a r i n g 
t h a t 
a 
p l a i n t i f f ' s 
n e g l i g e n c e 
and wantonness c l a i m s 
a g a i n s t 
a 
bar 
based 
on 
i n j u r i e s 
he 
r e c e i v e d 
a f t e r b e i n g 
a s s a u l t e d 
by 
a 
12 
1110993 
p a t r o n a t t h e b a r were n o t c o v e r e d by the b a r ' s 
i n s u r a n c e 
p o l i c y because t h e p o l i c y s p e c i f i c a l l y 
e x c l u d e d 
any 
c l a i m 
a l l e g i n g 
" ' b o d i l y i n j u r y o r p r o p e r t y damage a r i s i n g out of 
a s s a u l t 
and 
b a t t e r y 
... 
, 
whether 
caused 
by 
or a t the 
i n s t i g a t i o n 
o r d i r e c t i o n of t h e 
i n s u r e d , 
h i s employees, 
p a t r o n s , o r any o t h e r p e r s o n . ' " 
481 So. 2d a t 878 
( q u o t i n g 
i n s u r a n c e 
p o l i c y ) . 
P r i c e - W i l l i a m s concedes t h a t , based on t h e c l e a r terms of 
the 
a s s a u l t - a n d - b a t t e r y 
e x c l u s i o n i n t h e p o l i c y , 
i n j u r i e s 
a t t r i b u t a b l e 
t o Dean's 
and Baber's 
p a r t i c i p a t i o n 
i n t h e 
a s s a u l t were n o t c o v e r e d under t h e A d m i r a l p o l i c y . 
However, 
he n e v e r t h e l e s s 
argues t h a t coverage e x i s t s f o r h i s c l a i m 
because t h e A d m i r a l p o l i c y e x c l u d e s 
o n l y coverage f o r b o d i l y 
i n j u r y 
" a r i s i n g out of any a c t of a s s a u l t and/or b a t t e r y by  
any i n s u r e d or a d d i t i o n a l i n s u r e d " and he was a s s a u l t e d not 
o n l y by Dean and Baber — 
who were a d d i t i o n a l i n s u r e d s 
under 
the 
A d m i r a l 
p o l i c y — 
b u t a l s o by Howard, who was not an 
i n s u r e d 
or 
a d d i t i o n a l 
i n s u r e d 
under 
the 
A d m i r a l 
p o l i c y 
(emphasis added). 
P r i c e - W i l l i a m s argues t h a t t h i s 
l i m i t i n g 
language i n t h e a s s a u l t - a n d - b a t t e r y 
e x c l u s i o n 
d i f f e r e n t i a t e s 
the 
A d m i r a l 
p o l i c y 
from 
t h e b r o a d e r 
a s s a u l t - a n d - b a t t e r y 
13 
1110993 
e x c l u s i o n i n the i n s u r a n c e p o l i c y a t i s s u e i n Gregory — 
w h i c h 
e x c l u d e d coverage f o r 
any c l a i m a l l e g i n g b o d i l y i n j u r y a r i s i n g 
out of a s s a u l t and b a t t e r y 
"'whether 
caused by or a t t h e 
i n s t i g a t i o n 
or 
d i r e c t i o n of the 
i n s u r e d , 
h i s employees, 
p a t r o n s , 
or any o t h e r p e r s o n . ' " 481 So. 2d a t 878 
( q u o t i n g 
i n s u r a n c e 
p o l i c y 
(emphasis 
a d d e d ) ) . 
Thus, 
P r i c e - W i l l i a m s 
a r g u e s , t h i s case i s d i s t i n g u i s h a b l e from G r e g o r y .
9 
However, 
P r i c e - W i l l i a m s ' s 
argument 
t h a t 
Howard's 
i n v o l v e m e n t i n t h e a s s a u l t 
a v o i d s 
t h e a p p l i c a t i o n of t h e 
a s s a u l t - a n d - b a t t e r y 
e x c l u s i o n i n t h e A d m i r a l p o l i c y f a i l s t o 
r e c o g n i z e t h a t h i s a c t i o n a g a i n s t A d m i r a l was b r o u g h t p u r s u a n t 
9The t r i a l c o u r t a g r e e d w i t h P r i c e - W i l l i a m s ' s argument i n 
t h i s r e g a r d , 
s t a t i n g i n i t s f i n a l 
judgment: 
"The a s s a u l t and b a t t e r y 
e x c l u s i o n i s unambiguous 
and c l e a r l y e x c l u d e s coverage f o r 
any b o d i l y i n j u r y 
s u f f e r e d by 
[ P r i c e - W i l l i a m s ] 
caused by Dean and 
Baber's conduct of a s s a u l t i n g him. 
T h i s 
e x c l u s i o n , 
however, i s s e l f - l i m i t i n g , as i t 
a p p l i e s o n l y t o any 
damage[] due t o t h e a s s a u l t and b a t t e r y by Dean and 
Baber, not any i n j u r i e s 
caused by M i c h a e l 
Howard 
( s i n c e Howard was not an i n s u r e d under t h e p o l i c y ) . 
Both A d m i r a l and [ P r i c e - W i l l i a m s ] agree t h a t 
t h r e e 
i n d i v i d u a l s 
were 
i n v o l v e d 
i n a s s a u l t i n g 
[ P r i c e -
W i l l i a m s ] : 
Dean, Baber, and Howard. 
A l t h o u g h Dean 
and 
Baber's 
conduct 
of 
a s s a u l t 
and 
b a t t e r y i s 
e x c l u d e d under the p o l i c y , because Howard was not an 
i n s u r e d under t h e p o l i c y , t h i s e x c l u s i o n a r y 
c l a u s e 
does not a p p l y t o t h e damage[] caused by Howard's 
c o n d u c t . " 
14 
1110993 
t o § 27-23-2 t o seek payment of a judgment p r e v i o u s l y e n t e r e d 
a g a i n s t A d m i r a l 
i n s u r e d s Dean and B a r b e r i n the 
u n d e r l y i n g 
a c t i o n . 
In Haston v. T r a n s a m e r i c a I n s u r a n c e S e r v i c e s , 662 
So. 
2d 
1138, 
1139-40 
( A l a . 1995) 
( r e v e r s e d on o t h e r grounds 
by 
T r a v e l e r s I n d e m n i t y Co. 
of C o n n e c t i c u t 
v. M i l l e r , 
86 So. 
3d 
338 
( A l a . 2 0 1 1 ) ) , 
t h i s C o u r t s t a t e d : 
"A 
c l a i m under §§ 27-23-1 and 
- 2 [ , A l a . Code 
1975,] 
t o 
a p p l y 
the 
p r o c e e d s 
of 
a 
c o n t r a c t 
of 
i n s u r a n c e 
t o s a t i s f y a judgment has been 
d e s c r i b e d 
by t h i s C o u r t as f o l l o w s : 
"'Under Alabama law, the i n j u r e d p a r t y 
a c q u i r e s a v e s t e d 
i n t e r e s t 
(secondary) i n 
the 
n a t u r e 
of 
a 
h y p o t h e c a t i o n 
of 
the 
i n s u r e d ' s r i g h t s under the 
p o l i c y . 
" '  
"'Once an i n j u r e d p a r t y has 
r e c o v e r e d 
a judgment a g a i n s t the i n s u r e d , the i n j u r e d 
p a r t y may 
compel the 
i n s u r e r t o pay 
the 
judgment. 
The i n j u r e d p a r t y , however, can 
b r i n g an a c t i o n a g a i n s t the 
i n s u r e r o n l y 
a f t e r he has 
r e c o v e r e d 
a judgment a g a i n s t 
the 
i n s u r e d and 
o n l y 
i f the 
i n s u r e d 
was 
 
c o v e r e d 
a g a i n s t the l o s s or damage a t 
the  
time the 
i n j u r e d p a r t y ' s 
r i g h t of a c t i o n  
a r o s e a g a i n s t the i n s u r e d t o r t - f e a s o r . ' 
"Maness v. Alabama Farm Bureau Mut. 
C a s u a l t y 
I n s . 
 
Co., 
416 
So. 
2d 
979, 
981-82 
( A l a . 
1982) . 
The 
i n j u r e d p a r t y ' s 
' v e s t e d i n t e r e s t ' i s s u b j e c t t o the 
f u r t h e r q u a l i f i c a t i o n t h a t 'the terms of the 
p o l i c y 
i m p o s i n g o b l i g a t i o n s on the i n s u r e d are e f f e c t i v e as 
a g a i n s t the 
i n j u r e d p a r t y . ' 
George v. 
Employers'  
L i a b . A s s u r a n c e Corp., 219 
A l a . 307, 
310, 
122 
So. 
15 
1110993 
175, 
177 
(192 9 ) ; 
see 
James 
& 
Hackworth 
v. 
 
C o n t i n e n t a l 
C a s u a l t y 
Co., 
522 
F. 
Supp. 
785, 
787 
(N.D. 
A l a . 
1980). 
Thus, 
d e f e n s e s 
t o 
l i a b i l i t y 
a v a i l a b l e t o the i n s u r e r i n an a c t i o n b r o u g h t by 
the 
i n s u r e d would a l s o be a v a i l a b l e t o the i n s u r e r i n an 
a c t i o n b r o u g h t p u r s u a n t t o §§ 27-23-1 and -2 by 
the 
i n j u r e d p a r t y . 
Employers 
I n s . 
Co. 
v. Crook, 
276 
A l a . 
177, 
183, 
160 
So. 
2d 
463, 
469-70 
(1964); 
Employers I n s . Co. v. J o h n s t o n , 238 A l a . 26, 31, 
189 
So. 
58, 
62 
(1939); see F l e m i n g v. Pan American F i r e  
& C a s u a l t y 
Co., 
495 
F.2d 
535, 
541 
(5th C i r . 1974); 
S o u t h e a s t e r n F i r e I n s . Co. 
v. H e l t o n , 
192 
F. Supp. 
441, 444-45 (S.D. 
A l a . 1961)." 
(Emphasis added.) 
Thus, i n t h i s 
§ 27-23-2 a c t i o n , 
P r i c e -
W i l l i a m s 
e f f e c t i v e l y 
s t a n d s 
i n 
the 
shoes 
of 
the 
i n s u r e d 
t o r t f e a s o r s Dean and 
Baber i n making h i s c l a i m , 
and 
he 
i s 
e n t i t l e d t o r e c o v e r from A d m i r a l o n l y t o the e x t e n t of Dean's  
and Baber's coverage f o r the c l a i m s a s s e r t e d a g a i n s t them. 
I t 
i s acknowledged by 
a l l p a r t i e s t h a t Dean and Baber d i d 
not 
have coverage f o r t h e i r a c t of a s s a u l t because of the a s s a u l t -
a n d - b a t t e r y 
e x c l u s i o n 
i n 
the 
A d m i r a l 
commercial 
g e n e r a l -
l i a b i l i t y 
i n s u r a n c e 
p o l i c y , 
and 
t h a t 
e x c l u s i o n 
t h e r e f o r e 
p r e v e n t s P r i c e - W i l l i a m s from r e c o v e r i n g from A d m i r a l as w e l l . 
The f a c t t h a t Howard, a n o n - i n s u r e d , a l s o p a r t i c i p a t e d i n 
the 
a s s a u l t 
i s u l t i m a t e l y of 
no 
e f f e c t . 
P r i c e - W i l l i a m s ' s 
attempt t o d i s t i n g u i s h Gregory on the b a s i s of the more b r o a d 
a s s a u l t - a n d - b a t t e r y 
e x c l u s i o n 
i n t h a t case m i s s e s the mark 
16 
1110993 
because P r i c e - W i l l i a m s i s not a t t e m p t i n g t o r e q u i r e A d m i r a l 
t o 
f u l f i l l 
a judgment e n t e r e d 
a g a i n s t i t s i n s u r e d Kappa Nu 
f o r 
i n j u r i e s he r e c e i v e d i n an a s s a u l t committed s o l e l y by a 
non-
i n s u r e d such as Howard; r a t h e r , he i s a t t e m p t i n g 
t o 
r e q u i r e 
A d m i r a l 
t o 
f u l f i l l 
a judgment e n t e r e d 
a g a i n s t 
i t s i n s u r e d s 
Dean and Baber f o r i n j u r i e s he r e c e i v e d as the r e s u l t of 
an 
a s s a u l t i n which t h e y p a r t i c i p a t e d . As we s t a t e d i n Gregory: 
" [ I ] n s u r a n c e 
companies 
are 
e n t i t l e d 
t o have 
t h e i r 
p o l i c y 
c o n t r a c t s e n f o r c e d 
as w r i t t e n 
" 
481 So. 
2d a t 881. 
The 
a s s a u l t - a n d - b a t t e r y 
e x c l u s i o n i n the A d m i r a l p o l i c y 
e x c l u d e s 
coverage f o r an a c t of a s s a u l t committed by an i n s u r e d such as 
Dean or Baber, and § 27-23-2 cannot be used t o r e q u i r e 
A d m i r a l 
t o pay 
a judgment e n t e r e d 
a g a i n s t 
an 
i n s u r e d 
f o r 
i n j u r i e s 
i n f l i c t e d 
i n a non-covered 
a s s a u l t 
s i m p l y 
because 
a 
non-
i n s u r e d a l s o p a r t i c i p a t e d i n the a s s a u l t . 
Moreover, the a s s a u l t - a n d - b a t t e r y 
e x c l u s i o n b a r s P r i c e -
W i l l i a m s 
from r e c o v e r i n g 
from A d m i r a l 
on 
the 
b a s i s 
of 
the 
n e g l i g e n c e 
and wantonness c l a i m s he a s s e r t e d a g a i n s t Dean and 
Baber based on 
t h e i r 
f a i l u r e t o implement a risk-management 
program f o r Kappa Nu 
even though t h a t n e g l i g e n t 
or wanton 
conduct i s not 
i t s e l f e x c l u d e d 
from coverage. 
As the 
t r i a l 
17 
1110993 
c o u r t 
s t a t e d 
i n 
i t s 
f i n a l 
judgment, 
Dean's 
and 
Baber's 
n e g l i g e n t 
or wanton a c t s 
i n 
f a i l i n g 
t o implement 
a 
r i s k -
management program combined w i t h the a s s a u l t t o r e s u l t i n 
"one 
i n d i v i s i b l e i n j u r y " t o P r i c e - W i l l i a m s . 
S t a t e d a n o t h e r way, 
i t 
i s 
i m p o s s i b l e 
t o a l l o c a t e some p o r t i o n of 
P r i c e - W i l l i a m s ' s 
i n j u r i e s and the award of damages based on t h o s e i n j u r i e s 
t o 
the 
f a i l u r e t o implement a risk-management program and some 
o t h e r p o r t i o n t o the a s s a u l t . Compare Crews v. McLing , 38 
So. 
3d 688, 
694 
( A l a . 2009) ( a f f i r m i n g the 
t r i a l c o u r t ' s judgment 
t h a t t h e r e was 
not a " s i n g l e i n d i v i s i b l e i n j u r y " where 
e x p e r t 
w i t n e s s e s were a b l e t o d i s t i n g u i s h between damage t o a m o b i l e 
home 
a t t r i b u t a b l e 
t o 
the 
m a n u f a c t u r e r 
and 
o t h e r 
damage 
a t t r i b u t a b l e 
t o 
the 
i n s t a l l e r ) .
1
0 
A l l 
of 
P r i c e -
1 0 T h i s 
C o u r t 
f u r t h e r 
e x p l a i n e d 
the 
concept 
of 
an 
i n d i v i s i b l e i n j u r y i n S t a t e Farm F i r e & C a s u a l t y Co. v. 
S l a d e , 
747 
So. 
2d 293 
( A l a . 1999). 
In S l a d e , 
the p l a i n t i f f s sued a 
number of c o n t r a c t o r s 
i n v o l v e d i n the 
c o n s t r u c t i o n of 
t h e i r 
house, as w e l l as S t a t e Farm, w h i c h had 
i s s u e d a homeowners' 
i n s u r a n c e 
p o l i c y on 
t h a t house, 
a f t e r f o u n d a t i o n 
problems 
became a p p a r e n t . 
T h i s C o u r t c o n c l u d e d t h a t t h e s e d e f e n d a n t s 
had not combined t o cause one 
i n d i v i s i b l e i n j u r y , s t a t i n g : 
" I n 
the 
p r e s e n t 
case, 
t h e r e 
was 
no 
' s i n g l e , 
i n d i v i s i b l e 
i n j u r y ' 
caused 
by 
the 
c o n s t r u c t i o n 
d e f e n d a n t s and S t a t e Farm. 
In f a c t , t h e r e were 
two 
i n j u r i e s 
f l o w i n g 
from 
two 
s e p a r a t e 
a l l e g e d l y 
t o r t i o u s 
a c t s : 
(1) damage caused 
by 
the 
a l l e g e d 
n e g l i g e n t and/or wanton c o n s t r u c t i o n t h a t was 
done 
by the c o n s t r u c t i o n d e f e n d a n t s and 
(2) damage caused 
18 
1110993 
W i l l i a m s ' s 
i n j u r i e s a r o s e from and were t h e p r o d u c t o f t h e 
a s s a u l t — 
n o t w i t h s t a n d i n g 
t h e f a c t t h a t the n e g l i g e n t 
or 
wanton f a i l u r e t o implement a risk-management program may have 
been an a d d i t i o n a l p r o x i m a t e cause. 
See S p r i n g e r v. J e f f e r s o n  
Cnty., 595 So. 2d 1381, 1384 ( A l a . 
1992) 
( r e c o g n i z i n g t h a t an 
i n j u r y may have s e v e r a l c o n c u r r e n t p r o x i m a t e 
c a u s e s ) . 
The a s s a u l t - a n d - b a t t e r y 
e x c l u s i o n i n t h e A d m i r a l p o l i c y 
s t a t e s 
t h a t 
t h e r e 
i s no coverage f o r " ' b o d i l y i n j u r y ' ... 
a r i s i n g 
out of any a c t of a s s a u l t and/or b a t t e r y by any 
i n s u r e d 
or a d d i t i o n a l i n s u r e d . " 
A l l of 
P r i c e - W i l l i a m s ' s 
i n j u r i e s w i t h o u t q u e s t i o n 
r e s u l t e d from an a c t o f a s s a u l t i n 
w h i c h 
a d d i t i o n a l 
i n s u r e d s 
Dean 
and 
Baber 
p a r t i c i p a t e d . 
T h e r e f o r e , 
r e g a r d l e s s of the f a c t t h a t t h e r e may have been a 
by t h e a l l e g e d b a d - f a i t h r e f u s a l t o pay an 
i n s u r a n c e 
c l a i m . 
A l s o , t h e i n j u r i e s the [ p l a i n t i f f s ] c l a i m t o 
have s u f f e r e d were not i n d i v i s i b l e . 
Moreover, t h e 
a c t s of t h e two groups of d e f e n d a n t s d i d not combine 
t o cause any one i n j u r y . 
S t a t e Farm took no p a r t i n 
the c o n s t r u c t i o n of t h e home, and t h e c o n s t r u c t i o n 
d e f e n d a n t s t o o k no p a r t i n the r e f u s a l t o pay an 
i n s u r a n c e 
c l a i m . " 
747 So. 2d a t 325. 
In t h e p r e s e n t case, two s e p a r a t e t o r t i o u s 
a c t s have a l s o been a l l e g e d ; however, u n l i k e S l a d e , 
t h e r e i s 
no b a s i s f o r d i v i d i n g t h e p l a i n t i f f ' s 
i n j u r i e s between t h o s e 
two a c t s , and t h e same i n d i v i d u a l s r e s p o n s i b l e f o r one a c t 
(the n e g l i g e n t or wanton a c t ) a l s o p a r t i c i p a t e d i n t h e second 
a c t (the a s s a u l t and b a t t e r y ) . 
19 
1110993 
s e p a r a t e 
a c t 
t h a t 
a l s o 
c o n t r i b u t e d 
t o 
P r i c e - W i l l i a m s ' s 
i n j u r i e s , t h e r e i s no coverage i n t h i s case. 
The 
c l e a r terms 
of the a s s a u l t - a n d - b a t t e r y 
e x c l u s i o n must be e n f o r c e d . 
See 
Auto-Owners I n s . Co. 
v. American Cent. I n s . Co., 
739 
So. 
2d 
1078, 
1081 
( A l a . 1999) 
("If a p o l i c y p r o v i s i o n i s unambiguous, 
then a c o u r t must e n f o r c e 
the p o l i c y as 
i t i s w r i t t e n 
and 
cannot d e f e a t 
e x p r e s s p r o v i s i o n s , i n c l u d i n g e x c l u s i o n s 
from 
c o v e r a g e . " ) . 
IV. 
P r i c e - W i l l i a m s sued A d m i r a l p u r s u a n t t o § 27-23-2 a f t e r 
o b t a i n i n g a judgment a g a i n s t Dean and Baber, who 
he 
a l l e g e d 
were i n s u r e d by A d m i r a l under a p o l i c y A d m i r a l had 
i s s u e d t o 
Kappa Sigma, by v i r t u e of t h e i r p o s i t i o n s as o f f i c e r s of Kappa 
Nu. 
F o l l o w i n g 
a bench 
t r i a l , 
the 
t r i a l 
c o u r t 
e n t e r e d 
a 
judgment i n f a v o r 
of 
P r i c e - W i l l i a m s , 
o b l i g a t i n g A d m i r a l 
t o 
f u l f i l l 
the judgment e n t e r e d 
a g a i n s t Dean and Baber i n 
the 
u n d e r l y i n g 
a c t i o n . 
However, because the A d m i r a l p o l i c y d i d 
not 
p r o v i d e 
coverage 
t o Dean and 
Baber 
f o r 
"any 
a c t 
of 
a s s a u l t and/or b a t t e r y " and because P r i c e - W i l l i a m s ' s 
i n j u r i e s 
u n d i s p u t e d l y 
a r o s e from an 
a s s a u l t i n which Dean and 
Baber 
p a r t i c i p a t e d , 
the 
t r i a l 
c o u r t 
e r r e d 
i n 
h o l d i n g 
A d m i r a l 
20 
1110993 
r e s p o n s i b l e f o r 
t h e judgment e n t e r e d a g a i n s t Dean and Baber 
i n 
the 
u n d e r l y i n g 
a c t i o n . 
The 
t r i a l 
c o u r t ' s 
judgment i s 
a c c o r d i n g l y r e v e r s e d and the cause remanded. 
APPLICATION 
GRANTED; 
OPINION 
OF 
JANUARY 
11, 2013, 
WITHDRAWN; OPINION SUBSTITUTED; REVERSED AND REMANDED. 
B o l i n , P a r k e r , Main, Wise, and B r y a n , J J . , 
c o n c u r . 
Murdock, J . , c o n c u r s 
s p e c i a l l y . 
Moore, C.J., and Shaw, J . , concur i n t h e r e s u l t . 
21 
1110993 
MURDOCK, J u s t i c e ( c o n c u r r i n g 
s p e c i a l l y ) . 
I concur i n the d i s p o s i t i o n by 
the main o p i n i o n 
of 
the 
i s s u e s 
a d d r e s s e d 
t h e r e i n . 
I w r i t e 
s e p a r a t e l y 
t o 
f u r t h e r 
e x p l a i n my reasons f o r d o i n g so and t o comment on the 
c o n t e x t 
i n w h i c h the i s s u e s a d d r e s s e d i n the main o p i n i o n 
a r i s e . 
P r e l i m i n a r y O b s e r v a t i o n s 
B e f o r e e x p l a i n i n g my agreement w i t h 
the 
d i s p o s i t i o n by 
the main o p i n i o n of the i s s u e s a d d r e s s e d t h e r e i n , I b e l i e v e i t 
i m p o r t a n t t o note c e r t a i n a s p e c t s of 
the 
c o n t e x t 
i n w h i c h 
t h e s e 
i s s u e s 
are 
p r e s e n t e d 
i n 
t h i s 
case. 
F i r s t , 
the 
f o r m u l a t i o n and i m p l e m e n t a t i o n of a risk-management p o l i c y was 
something the n a t i o n a l f r a t e r n i t y , Kappa Sigma, asked of 
the 
o f f i c e r s of l o c a l c h a p t e r s i n t h e i r c a p a c i t y as agents of 
the 
n a t i o n a l f r a t e r n i t y . 
G a b r i e l Dean and C h a r l e s Baber, i n t h e i r  
c a p a c i t i e s as p r e s i d e n t and v i c e p r e s i d e n t , 
r e s p e c t i v e l y , of 
the 
l o c a l 
c h a p t e r , 
t h e r e f o r e , 
may 
have 
assumed 
a 
r e s p o n s i b i l i t y 
t o the n a t i o n a l f r a t e r n i t y t o p r o m u l g a t e such 
a p o l i c y i n o r d e r t o a i d the n a t i o n a l f r a t e r n i t y i n 
f u l f i l l i n g 
the d u t i e s imposed by law upon i t i n r e l a t i o n t o v i s i t o r s t o 
the 
f r a t e r n i t y house. 
We 
do 
not appear t o be p r e s e n t e d i n 
t h i s a p p e a l w i t h the q u e s t i o n whether Dean and Baber, i n t h e i r 
22 
1110993 
i n d i v i d u a l 
c a p a c i t i e s , owed a p e r s o n a l 
d u t y t o Ryan P r i c e - 
W i l l i a m s t o promulgate and implement a risk-management p o l i c y . 
O b v i o u s l y , t h e y owed a p e r s o n a l d u t y t o P r i c e - W i l l i a m s n o t 
t o 
a s s a u l t and b a t t e r him. 
A d u t y s p e c i f i c a l l y t o c r e a t e and 
implement 
a risk-management 
p o l i c y f o r h i s b e n e f i t i s a 
d i f f e r e n t i s s u e , however. 
See g e n e r a l l y Restatement 
(Third) 
 
of Agency: 
Duty t o P r i n c i p a l ; 
Duty t o T h i r d P a r t y § 7.02 
(2006) ("An agent's b r e a c h o f a d u t y owed t o the p r i n c i p a l i s 
not an independent b a s i s f o r 
t h e agent's t o r t 
l i a b i l i t y t o a 
t h i r d p a r t y . An agent i s s u b j e c t t o t o r t l i a b i l i t y t o a t h i r d 
p a r t y harmed by t h e agent's conduct o n l y when t h e agent's 
conduct b r e a c h e s a d u t y t h a t the agent owes t o t h e 
t h i r d 
p a r t y . " ) ; c f . 
Commercial Union I n s . Co. v. DeShazo 845 So. 2d 
766, 770 ( A l a . 
2002) ("Furthermore, t h e ' i n s p e c t i o n and a u d i t ' 
c l a u s e s a l s o i n d i c a t e t h a t any i n s p e c t i o n was s o l e l y f o r t h e 
b e n e f i t o f the d e f e n d a n t s , and n o t , as d e s c r i b e d 
i n the 
c l a u s e s , made 'on b e h a l f o f o r f o r 
t h e b e n e f i t o f t h e named 
i n s u r e d o r o t h e r s . ' " 
(emphasis 
o m i t t e d ) ) . 
Second, the C o u r t d e c i d e s t h i s case t o d a y on t h e b a s i s o f 
an " e x c l u s i o n a r y c l a u s e " a p p l i c a b l e t o i n j u r i e s r e s u l t i n g from 
an a s s a u l t and b a t t e r y . 
I t may be n o t e d as w e l l t h a t the 
23 
1110993 
"coverage" language i n the p o l i c y a p p l i e s i n the 
f i r s t 
p l a c e 
o n l y 
t o 
" o c c u r r e n c e s " 
o r , 
as 
t h a t 
term 
i s 
d e f i n e d , 
" a c c i d e n t s . " 
"[A] 
CGL 
p o l i c y 
i s i n t e n d e d 
'"to p r o t e c t 
an 
i n s u r e d from b e a r i n g 
f i n a n c i a l r e s p o n s i b i l i t y f o r u n e x p e c t e d 
and a c c i d e n t a l damage t o p e o p l e or p r o p e r t y 
Town & 
C o u n t r y Prop., L.L.C. v. A m e r i s u r e I n s . Co., 
[Ms. 
1100009, 
Oct. 
21, 
2011] 
So. 
3d 
, 
( A l a . 2011) 
( q u o t i n g E s s e x 
I n s . Co. 
v. H o l d e r , 
372 
Ark. 
535, 
539, 
261 S.W.3d 456, 
459 
(2007), q u o t i n g i n t u r n Nabholz C o n s t r . Corp. v. S t . P a u l F i r e  
& M a r i n e I n s . Co., 
354 F. Supp. 2d 917, 923 
(E.D. Ark. 
2 0 0 5 ) ) . 
From the s t a n d p o i n t of the i n s u r e d s , Dean and Baber ( i n whose 
shoes P r i c e - W i l l i a m s must s t a n d i n p u r s u i n g h i s d i r e c t - a c t i o n 
c l a i m a g a i n s t t h e i r i n s u r e r t o r e c o v e r the damages he has been 
awarded 
a g a i n s t 
them p e r s o n a l l y ) , the 
"damage" 
t o 
P r i c e -
W i l l i a m s was 
a n y t h i n g but "unexpected and a c c i d e n t a l . " Dean 
and Baber i n t e n t i o n a l l y , p h y s i c a l l y a t t a c k e d and 
" b a t t e r e d " 
the v i c t i m , P r i c e - W i l l i a m s . 
The 
r e s u l t a c h i e v e d 
i n t h i s case thus i s i n a c c o r d 
not 
o n l y w i t h the p u b l i c p o l i c y i n Alabama and e l s e w h e r e a g a i n s t 
i n d e m n i f y i n g an i n s u r e d f o r a l o s s r e s u l t i n g from h i s or her 
own 
i n t e n t i o n a l wrongdoing, but 
a l s o w i t h the 
f a c t t h a t 
an 
24 
1110993 
" a s s a u l t 
and 
b a t t e r y " 
i s an 
i n t e n t i o n a l a c t 
and 
t h e r e f o r e 
cannot p r o p e r l y be c o n s i d e r e d an " a c c i d e n t " w i t h i n the meaning 
of 
l i a b i l i t y 
p o l i c i e s : 
" I n s u r a n c e 
l i a b i l i t y 
p o l i c i e s 
t r a d i t i o n a l l y 
have 
been 
c o n s t r u e d 
as 
not 
p r o v i d i n g 
coverage 
f o r 
a s s a u l t s and b a t t e r i e s committed by the i n s u r e d , 
due 
t o the 
p u b l i c p o l i c y a g a i n s t 
i n d e m n i f y i n g 
one 
f o r 
h i s 
or her 
own 
wrongdoing. Moreover, 
' o c c u r r e n c e ' -
or 
' a c c i d e n t ' - b a s e d 
p o l i c i e s 
o f t e n 
have 
been 
i n t e r p r e t e d 
t o 
not 
encompass 
c l a i m s 
a r i s i n g 
from 
a s s a u l t s and b a t t e r i e s . " 
K i m b e r l y J . Winbush, A n n o t a t i o n , 
V a l i d i t y , 
C o n s t r u c t i o n 
and 
E f f e c t of A s s a u l t and B a t t e r y E x c l u s i o n i n L i a b i l i t y I n s u r a n c e 
P o l i c y a t I s s u e , 
44 A.L.R.5th 91 
( 1 9 9 6 ) .
1 1 
I s s u e s A d d r e s s e d i n the Main O p i n i o n 
As 
t o 
the 
i s s u e s 
a d d r e s s e d 
i n the 
main 
o p i n i o n , 
the 
outcome i n t h i s case i s governed by 
two 
f a c t s . 
F i r s t , 
the 
p l a i n t i f f 
has 
a 
s i n g l e , n o n s e v e r a b l e 
c l a i m . 
As 
the 
main 
o p i n i o n 
n o t e s , 
P r i c e - W i l l i a m s ' s 
c l a i m i s f o r b o d i l y i n j u r y 
t h a t 
cannot 
be 
d i v i d e d 
and 
a l l o c a t e d between Dean's 
and 
Baber's 
a l l e g e d 
n e g l i g e n c e 
i n 
not 
p r o m u l g a t i n g 
and 
i m p l e m e n t i n g a risk-management p o l i c y and t h e i r subsequent a c t 
^^The 
p o l i c y a t 
i s s u e 
a l s o 
c o n t a i n s 
an 
e x c l u s i o n 
f o r 
" ' b o d i l y 
i n j u r y ' or 
' p r o p e r t y damage' e x p e c t e d or 
i n t e n d e d 
from the s t a n d p o i n t 
of the i n s u r e d , " which would appear t o be 
s u f f i c i e n t i n and of i t s e l f t o r e q u i r e a judgment i n A d m i r a l ' s 
f a v o r . 
25 
1110993 
of i n t e n t i o n a l l y a s s a u l t i n g and b a t t e r i n g P r i c e - W i l l i a m s . 
Nor 
can i t be d i v i d e d between t h o s e blows s t r u c k by M i c h a e l Howard 
and t h o s e s t r u c k by Dean and Baber d u r i n g the a s s a u l t . 
P r i c e -
W i l l i a m s ' s s i n g l e , n o n s e v e r a b l e c l a i m i s e i t h e r c o v e r e d — 
i n 
i t s e n t i r e t y — 
by the A d m i r a l i n s u r a n c e p o l i c y , or i t i s not. 
Second, r e g a r d l e s s of whatever o t h e r a c t s or o m i s s i o n s by Dean 
and 
Baber 
or 
by 
a 
t h i r d 
p a r t y 
( i . e . , 
Howard) 
may 
have 
f a c i l i t a t e d or c o n t r i b u t e d t o P r i c e - W i l l i a m s ' s b o d i l y i n j u r y , 
i t i s u n d e n i a b l e t h a t t h i s i n d i v i s i b l e b o d i l y i n j u r y d i d a r i s e 
out of an a s s a u l t and b a t t e r y committed by Dean and Baber. 
To be a p p l i e d t o t h e s e two 
f a c t s i s the f o l l o w i n g 
s i m p l e 
p o l i c y language: 
" T h i s 
i n s u r a n c e 
does not 
a p p l y 
t o 
' b o d i l y 
i n j u r y , ' ... 
[or] ' p e r s o n a l i n j u r y ' ... a r i s i n g out of any 
a c t 
of 
a s s a u l t 
and/or 
b a t t e r y 
by 
any 
i n s u r e d 
or 
a d d i t i o n a l 
i n s u r e d . " 
C o u r t s i n o t h e r 
s t a t e s 
t h a t have a d d r e s s e d 
the 
i s s u e are e s s e n t i a l l y 
unanimous i n u n d e r s t a n d i n g 
a s s a u l t - a n d -
b a t t e r y e x c l u s i o n s t o bar coverage when a l o s s a r i s e s from an 
a s s a u l t and 
b a t t e r y , 
r e g a r d l e s s 
of whether t h e r e 
are 
o t h e r 
a c t s 
or 
"causes 
of 
a c t i o n " 
t h a t have 
c o n t r i b u t e d 
t o 
t h a t 
l o s s .
1 2 
Even 
more 
s p e c i f i c a l l y , 
most 
of 
t h e s e 
1 2The 
a b o v e - c i t e d 
a n n o t a t i o n 
f u r t h e r 
e x p l a i n s 
t h a t , 
n o t w i t h s t a n d i n g 
the 
above-noted 
p r i n c i p l e s 
r e g a r d i n g 
the 
26 
1110993 
c o n s t r u c t i o n of " c o v e r a g e " 
c l a u s e s , 
"many 
l i a b i l i t y 
i n s u r a n c e 
c o n t r a c t s , 
p a r t i c u l a r l y 
t h o s e 
i s s u e d 
t o 
b a r s , 
r e s t a u r a n t s , 
and 
s i m i l a r 
e s t a b l i s h m e n t s 
i n c l u d e s p e c i f i c a s s a u l t and 
b a t t e r y 
e x c l u s i o n s , aimed a t p r e c l u d i n g coverage of damages 
caused by 
t h e s e t y p e s 
of 
t o r t s . 
These 
e x c l u s i o n s 
have spawned a wide v a r i e t y of c h a l l e n g e s , b o t h t o 
t h e i r 
v a l i d i t y 
and 
t o 
t h e i r 
a p p l i c a b i l i t y 
t o 
p a r t i c u l a r conduct and 
i n d i v i d u a l s . For example, i n 
L i q u o r 
L i a b i l i t y 
J o i n t 
U n d e r w r i t i n g 
Ass'n 
v. 
 
Hermitage I n s . Co. 
(1995) 419 Mass. 316, 
644 N.E.2d 
964, 
44 A.L.R.5th 787, 
the 
c o u r t 
d e c l a r e d 
t h a t 
an 
a s s a u l t v i c t i m ' s 
c l a i m s 
of n e g l i g e n c e 
a g a i n s t 
the 
i n s u r e d bar 
... 
d i d not 
f a l l w i t h i n an a s s a u l t 
and 
b a t t e r y e x c l u s i o n i n t h a t t a v e r n ' s i n s u r a n c e 
p o l i c y . 
However, most o t h e r 
c o u r t s have d i s a g r e e d , 
f i n d i n g 
 
t h a t 
a l l c l a i m s , 
whether 
r o o t e d 
i n 
the 
a c t u a l 
 
a s s a u l t 
and 
b a t t e r y , 
or 
couched 
i n 
n e g l i g e n c e 
 
language, 
t h a t 
a r i s e 
from an 
a s s a u l t 
and 
b a t t e r y 
 
f a l l w i t h i n the p a r a m e t e r s of an a s s a u l t and 
b a t t e r y 
e x c l u s i o n . " 
Winbush, 
44 
A.L.R.5th 
91. 
The 
a n n o t a t i o n 
i n c l u d e s 
a 
c u m u l a t i v e 
supplement 
l i s t i n g 
44 
cases 
from 
16 
d i f f e r e n t 
j u r i s d i c t i o n s 
i t d e s c r i b e s 
as h o l d i n g 
" e i t h e r 
i m p l i c i t l y 
or 
e x p l i c i t l y ... t h a t a s s a u l t and b a t t e r y e x c l u s i o n s encompassed 
c l a i m s 
a l l e g i n g 
t h a t 
the 
i n s u r e d ' s 
n e g l i g e n c e 
caused 
the 
damages i n 
l i t i g a t i o n . " 
In c o n t r a s t , the a n n o t a t i o n 
l i s t s a t o t a l of e i g h t cases 
i t 
i n t r o d u c e s 
w i t h 
the 
f o l l o w i n g s t a t e m e n t : 
" A s s a u l t 
and 
b a t t e r y e x c l u s i o n s 
i n the f o l l o w i n g cases were r u l e d t o 
not 
r e l i e v e 
i n s u r a n c e 
companies from t h e i r d u t i e s 
t o d e f e n d 
or 
i n d e m n i f y 
i n s u r e d s 
f o r 
c l a i m s 
a r i s i n g 
from 
t h e i r 
a s s a u l t - a n d - b a t t e r y - r e l a t e d 
n e g l i g e n c e . " 
Of 
t h e s e 
e i g h t 
c a s e s , however, 
a l l but 
two 
are 
cases 
from 
j u r i s d i c t i o n s 
l i s t e d 
i n 
the 
p r e v i o u s 
s e c t i o n 
t h a t 
l i s t s 
f o r 
t h o s e 
j u r i s d i c t i o n s more r e c e n t cases embracing the m a j o r i t y r u l e or 
t h a t are d i s t i n g u i s h a b l e . 
The 
r e m a i n i n g two 
i n c l u d e the 
one 
case c i t e d i n the quoted passage above, L i q u o r L i a b i l i t y J o i n t 
27 
1110993 
cases s t a n d f o r the p r o p o s i t i o n t h a t l i a b i l i t y - p o l i c y 
c l a u s e s 
t h a t e x c l u d e l o s s e s a r i s i n g from an a s s a u l t and b a t t e r y are 
e f f e c t i v e t o b a r payments f o r any such l o s s , even when the 
o n l y improper conduct o f the i n s u r e d i s a p u r e l y n e g l i g e n t a c t 
or 
o m i s s i o n t h a t 
s i m p l y made p o s s i b l e 
o r 
f a c i l i t a t e d 
the 
subsequent i n t e n t i o n a l a s s a u l t o r b a t t e r y . 
A f o r t i o r i , 
t h i s 
b a s i c u n d e r s t a n d i n g a p p l i e s i n a case such as t h i s i n w h i c h i t 
i s the i n s u r e d h i m s e l f who commits the subsequent 
i n t e n t i o n a l 
a s s a u l t and b a t t e r y . 
A d m i r a l r e l i e s on such cases as Auto-Owners I n s u r a n c e Co.  
v. American 
C e n t r a l 
I n s u r a n c e Co., 
739 
So. 
2d 1078 
( A l a . 
1999), Horace Mann I n s u r a n c e Co. v. D.A.C., 710 So. 2d 
1274 
( A l a . C i v . App. 1998), and Gregory v. Western World I n s u r a n c e  
Co., 481 So. 2d 878 
( A l a . 1985). P r i c e - W i l l i a m s argues 
t h a t 
t h e s e cases are d i s t i n g u i s h a b l e because, he s a y s , t h e y i n v o l v e 
s e p a r a t e " c l a i m s " 
a r i s i n g out o f the same " a c t , " whereas i n 
t h i s 
case 
i t 
i s 
p o s s i b l e 
t o 
d i s t i n g u i s h 
between 
U n d e r w r i t i n g 
Ass'n of M a s s a c h u s e t t s v. Hermitage 
I n s u r a n c e  
Co., 419 Mass. 316, 644 N.E.2d 964 
(1995), and 
Mount Vernon  
F i r e I n s u r a n c e Co. v. C r e a t i v e Housing L t d . , 70 F.3d 720 
(2d 
C i r . 1995). 
The former i s p r o b a b l y d i s t i n g u i s h a b l e based on 
the c o u r t ' s i n t e r p r e t a t i o n o f the c l a u s e a t i s s u e ; the 
l a t t e r 
a p p l i e s the law o f the S t a t e o f New York, a s t a t e t h a t 
a l s o 
has p r o d u c e d cases embracing the m a j o r i t y 
r u l e . 
28 
1110993 
P r i c e - W i l l i a m s ' s c l a i m a l l e g i n g an i n t e n t i o n a l a s s a u l t and h i s 
c l a i m s a l l e g i n g n e g l i g e n c e because t h e c l a i m s a r e 
based on two 
s e p a r a t e and d i s t i n c t a c t s . 
T h i s argument m i s u n d e r s t a n d s t h e 
r a t i o n a l e o f Auto-Owners. 
F i r s t , i t 
appears t h a t t h e r e were i n f a c t two d i f f e r e n t 
a c t s by t h e i n s u r e d i n Auto-Owners. 
As t h e t r i a l 
c o u r t i n 
Auto-Owners found: 
"'While t h e c l a i m s i n 
t h e u n d e r l y i n g case 
i n v o l v e b o t h i n t e n t i o n a l 
and u n i n t e n t i o n a l a c t s , t h e d e f e n d a n t 
has 
p r o v i d e d 
case law s u p p o r t i n g t h e n o n s e v e r a b i l i t y o f t h e 
c l a i m s . ' " 
I d . 
a t 1080 (emphasis added). The t r i a l c o u r t d i d 
not say t h a t t h e case i n v o l v e d a l t e r n a t i v e l e g a l t h e o r i e s o r 
causes o f a c t i o n i n r e l a t i o n t o t h e 
same a c t ; 
i t 
s a i d t h a t t h e 
c o m p l a i n t a l l e g e d "both i n t e n t i o n a l a c t s and u n i n t e n t i o n a l 
a c t s . " The c l a i m s a g a i n s t t h e i n s u r e d i n 
Auto-Owners i n v o l v e d 
a l l e g a t i o n s t h a t he a l l o w e d o t h e r f r a t e r n i t y members t o commit 
i n t e n t i o n a l 
a c t s and t h a t he h i m s e l f 
committed such 
a c t s . 
T h i s C o u r t acknowledged t h a t s e p a r a t e a c t s were i n v o l v e d : 
"We 
a l s o 
agree 
w i t h 
t h e 
t r i a l 
c o u r t 
t h a t 
a l t h o u g h t h e c l a i m s i n 
t h e u n d e r l y i n g a c t i o n a l l e g e d 
b o t h 
i n t e n t i o n a l and 
u n i n t e n t i o n a l 
a c t s , 
t h o s e 
c l a i m s were n o t s e v e r a b l e so as t o o b l i g a t e American 
C e n t r a l t o p r o v i d e 
a d e f e n s e and i n d e m n i t y as t o 
some c l a i m s b u t n o t as t o o t h e r s . " 
29 
1110993 
Auto-Owners, 739 So. 2d a t 1082 (emphasis a d d e d ) .
1 3 
That s a i d , however, t h e u n d e r l y i n g r e a s o n t h e c l a i m s i n 
Auto-Owners were n o t s e v e r a b l e i s e x a c t l y t h e same as i n t h e 
p r e s e n t case: t h e r e was o n l y one s e t 
o f i n d i v i s i b l e 
i n j u r i e s 
s u f f e r e d by t h e v i c t i m o f an a s s a u l t . 
Those i n j u r i e s cannot 
be s e v e r e d and a l l o c a t e d t o d i f f e r e n t c a u s e s , whether t h o s e 
"causes" a r e s e p a r a t e l e g a l t h e o r i e s o r " c l a i m s " r e l a t i n g t o 
the same a c t o r a r e a c t u a l l y s e p a r a t e a c t s t h a t combined t o 
cause t h e i n j u r i e s . 
T h i s 
s i m p l e 
f a c t was t r u e i n 
A u t o - 
Owners, j u s t as i t 
i s t r u e i n t h i s case and i n dozens o f 
i n d i s t i n g u i s h a b l e cases t h r o u g h o u t t h e c o u n t r y . 
P r i c e - W i l l i a m s 
a l s o 
seeks 
t o 
d i s t i n g u i s h 
Gregory, 
i n v o k i n g t h e f a c t t h a t a t h i r d p a r t y , Howard, a l s o l a n d e d some 
blows t o P r i c e - W i l l i a m s d u r i n g t h e a s s a u l t . 
P r i c e - W i l l i a m s 
argues t h a t t h e e x c l u s i o n p r o v i s i o n a t i s s u e a p p l i e s o n l y t o 
i n j u r i e s a r i s i n g out 
o f any a c t 
o f a s s a u l t and b a t t e r y "by 
any 
1 3Moreover, each o f t h e cases 
c i t e d i n Auto-Owners i n 
s u p p o r t 
o f t h e 
c o n c l u s i o n 
t h a t 
t h e 
c l a i m s 
t h e r e 
were 
n o n s e v e r a b l e i n v o l v e d c l a i m s o f n e g l i g e n t s u p e r v i s i o n o r o t h e r 
n o n i n t e n t i o n a l 
a c t s by an employer and s e p a r a t e i n t e n t i o n a l 
a c t s by an employee. 
See i d . , c i t i n g Commercial U n i o n I n s . 
 
Cos. v. Sky, I n c . , 810 F. Supp. 249, 255 (W.D. A r k . 1992); O l d 
 
R e p u b l i c I n s . Co. v. Comprehensive H e a l t h Care A s s o c s . , 786 F. 
Supp. 629 (N.D. Tex. 1992); and Board o f Educ. v. C o n t i n e n t a l  
I n s . Co., 198 A.D.2d 816, 604 N.Y.S.2d 399 (1993). 
30 
1110993 
i n s u r e d 
or 
a d d i t i o n a l i n s u r e d " 
and 
t h a t Howard i s not 
an 
" i n s u r e d or a d d i t i o n a l i n s u r e d . " 
T h i s 
attempt 
t o 
d i s t i n g u i s h 
Gregory 
i g n o r e s 
b a s i c 
p r i n c i p l e s of t o r t law r e g a r d i n g 
j o i n t and s e v e r a l 
l i a b i l i t y 
of m u l t i p l e 
t o r t f e a s o r s c o n t r i b u t i n g t o a s i n g l e , i n d i v i s i b l e 
i n j u r y . 
I f the 
s e p a r a t e 
a c t s 
of 
two 
or more 
t o r t f e a s o r s 
combine t o cause an 
i n d i v i s i b l e i n j u r y , then a l l a c t o r s 
are 
j o i n t l y 
and 
s e v e r a l l y l i a b l e 
f o r t h a t 
e n t i r e i n j u r y . 
See 
B r e l a n d 
v. R i c h , 
69 
So. 
3d 
803, 
825 
( A l a . 2011) 
( o b s e r v i n g 
t h a t "'where s e p a r a t e causes a c t contemporaneously t o produce 
a g i v e n r e s u l t , the causes of i n j u r y are c o n c u r r e n t w i t h i n the 
r u l e 
making 
s e p a r a t e 
wrongdoers 
e q u a l l y 
l i a b l e 
f o r 
the 
r e s u l t a n t i n j u r y ' " ( q u o t i n g D a v i s o n v. M o b i l e I n f i r m a r y , 
456 
So. 
2d 14, 
26 
( A l a . 1 9 8 4 ) ) ) ; 
F r a n k l i n v. C i t y of A t h e n s , 
938 
So. 
2d 
950, 
953 
( A l a . C i v . App. 
2005) 
( s t a t i n g t h a t 
" [ t ] h e 
n e g l i g e n c e 
of two or more t o r t f e a s o r s may combine t o r e s u l t i n 
a s i n g l e , i n d i v i s i b l e i n j u r y f o r which b o t h t o r t f e a s o r s 
are 
l i a b l e " ) ; and H o l c i m (US), I n c . v. Ohio Cas. 
I n s . Co., 
38 
So. 
3d 722, 
729 
( A l a . 2009) ( e x p l a i n i n g t h a t " [ u ] n d e r Alabama law 
g o v e r n i n g j o i n t and s e v e r a l l i a b i l i t y , 
'[a] t o r t - f e a s o r whose 
n e g l i g e n t 
a c t or a c t s p r o x i m a t e l y 
c o n t r i b u t e 
i n c a u s i n g 
an 
31 
1110993 
i n j u r y may be h e l d 
l i a b l e f o r t h e e n t i r e r e s u l t i n g l o s s ' " 
( q u o t i n g N e l s o n B r o s . , I n c . 
v. Busby, 513 So. 2d 1015, 1017 
( A l a . 1987) (emphasis o m i t t e d ) ) ) . 
In o t h e r words, i t i s 
t h e i n d i v i s i b l e n a t u r e o f an i n j u r y 
t h a t i s 
t h e f o c u s o f t o r t law i n d e c i d i n g t h a t more t h a n one 
a c t o r o r a c t 
i s 
t o be deemed r e s p o n s i b l e f o r 
a g i v e n l o s s . And 
i t i s t h i s s i n g l e , i n d i v i s i b l e n a t u r e o f t h e b o d i l y i n j u r y i n 
t h i s case t h a t i s d i s p o s i t i v e . 
A s i d e 
from whatever 
o t h e r 
c o m b i n i n g cause may have been i n v o l v e d , t h e u n d e n i a b l e f a c t 
remains t h a t t h e i n d i v i d u a l i n s u r e d s 
a s s a u l t e d and b a t t e r e d 
the v i c t i m . As t h e main o p i n i o n a p t l y n o t e s , i f 
p o r t i o n s o f 
the 
r e s u l t i n g i n j u r y and r e l a t e d h o s p i t a l 
b i l l s 
c o u l d be 
a t t r i b u t e d s o l e l y t o t h e e a r l i e r n e g l i g e n t a c t i o n s o f Dean and 
Baber i n n o t p r o m u l g a t i n g a risk-management p o l i c y o r t o 
t h e 
a c t s o f Howard d u r i n g t h e a c t u a l a t t a c k on P r i c e - W i l l i a m s (the 
l a t t e r 
b e i n g 
a l l e g e d by P r i c e - W i l l i a m s t o have been made 
p o s s i b l e by t h e p r i o r n e g l i g e n t a c t i o n s o f Dean and B a b e r ) , we 
would have a d i f f e r e n t case. 
We do n o t have t h a t case. 
In B o a r d o f E d u c a t i o n 
o f E a s t 
Syracuse-Minoa 
C e n t r a l 
 
S c h o o l 
D i s t r i c t v. C o n t i n e n t a l I n s u r a n c e Co., 198 A.D.2d 816, 
604 N.Y.S.2d 399 (1993), t h e c o u r t 
a p p l i e d p o l i c y language 
32 
1110993 
l i m i t i n g "coverage" t o " a c c i d e n t s " 
as w e l l as an e x c l u s i o n f o r 
b o d i l y 
i n j u r y 
o c c u r r i n g d u r i n g t h e c o u r s e o f t h e 
i n j u r e d 
p a r t y ' s employment. I n t h a t case, v e r y much as i n t h i s one, 
the 
i n s u r e d p i n n e d 
i t s hopes 
f o r coverage 
upon 
c e r t a i n 
wrongdoing on i t s p a r t t h a t , s t a n d i n g a l o n e , might p r o v i d e a 
b a s i s f o r coverage. Those arguments were r e j e c t e d w i t h sound 
r e a s o n i n g a p p a r e n t l y embraced by t h i s C o u r t i n Auto-Owners: 
"The a l l e g a t i o n s a g a i n s t the S c h o o l D i s t r i c t ... 
do not c o n s t i t u t e an ' o c c u r r e n c e ' w i t h i n t h e meaning 
of i t s g e n e r a l l i a b i l i t y p o l i c y . An ' o c c u r r e n c e ' i s 
d e f i n e d i n the p o l i c y as an ' a c c i d e n t 
' 
There 
i s n o t h i n g a c c i d e n t a l about the charges c o n t a i n e d 
i n 
the 
c o m p l a i n t 
[ c i t a t i o n s 
o m i t t e d ] . 
S e x u a l 
harassment, 
l i k e s e x u a l abuse and c h i l d abuse, i s 
i n t e n t i o n a l i n n a t u r e 
[ c i t a t i o n s o m i t t e d ] . 
W h i l e 
the 
c o m p l a i n t 
c o n t a i n s 
a l l e g a t i o n s 
t h a t 
'the 
D i s t r i c t knew o r s h o u l d have known o f t h e c o m p l a i n e d 
of 
conduct' 
and 
' f a i l e d t o s t o p o r p r e v e n t 
such 
conduct,' 
t h o s e 
a l l e g a t i o n s 
do 
n o t change t h e 
gravamen 
o f 
t h e 
c o m p l a i n t 
from 
one 
a l l e g i n g 
i n t e n t i o n a l a c t s and v i o l a t i o n s o f F e d e r a l and S t a t e 
s t a t u t e s t o one i n v o l v i n g n e g l i g e n t conduct (see, 
e.g., New York Cas. I n s . Co. v. Ward, 139 A.D.2d 
922, 527 N.Y.S.2d 913 [ ( 1 9 8 8 ) ] ) . " 
198 A.D.2d a t 817, 604 N.Y.S.2d a t 400. 
L i k e w i s e i n t h i s case, t h e argument t h a t Dean and Baber 
committed 
a c t s s e p a r a t e from the a s s a u l t and b a t t e r y t h a t 
d i r e c t l y 
i n j u r e d P r i c e - W i l l i a m s and t h a t by those p r e v i o u s 
a c t s o f n e g l i g e n c e t h e y " f a i l e d t o s t o p o r p r e v e n t " t h e i r own 
33 
1110993 
i n t e n t i o n a l 
a s s a u l t 
and b a t t e r y 
o f t h e v i c t i m o r t h e 
p a r t i c i p a t i o n o f 
a t h i r d p a r t y i n 
t h a t subsequent a s s a u l t and 
b a t t e r y must 
f a i l . 
I n t h i s 
r e g a r d , 
I f i n d 
h e l p f u l t h e 
f o l l o w i n g 
e x p l a n a t i o n 
o f Texas law, which I submit i s 
no 
d i f f e r e n t t h a n t h e 
law 
o f Alabama and b a s i c a l l y e v e r y 
o t h e r 
s t a t e : 
"Texas c o u r t s ... when d e t e r m i n i n g 
whether an 
e x c l u s i o n i n 
an i n s u r a n c e 
c o n t r a c t a p p l i e s , examine  
the 
f a c t u a l a l l e g a t i o n s showing t h e o r i g i n o f 
t h e 
 
damage[] r a t h e r than t h e 
l e g a l t h e o r i e s a s s e r t e d by  
the p l a i n t i f f . D u n c a n v i l l e 
D i a g n o s t i c C t r . , I n c . v.  
A t l a n t i c L l o y d s 
I n s . Co. o f Tex., 
875 S.W.2d 788, 
789 
(Tex. 
A p p . - E a s t l a n d 1994, w r i t 
d e n i e d ) ; 
... 
B u r l i n g t o n 
I n s . Co. v. Mexican 
American 
U n i t y 
 
C o u n c i l , 
I n c . , 905 S.W.2d 359, 360 (Tex. 
App.-San 
A n t o n i o 1995, no w r i t ) 
(same). Where t h e l e g a l  
c l a i m s 
a s s e r t e d 
by 
t h e 
p l a i n t i f f s 
a r e n o t  
independent 
and m u t u a l l y 
e x c l u s i v e , 
b u t 
r a t h e r  
r e l a t e d t o 
and 
dependent upon e x c l u d e d conduct, t h e 
c l a i m s a r e 
n o t 
c o v e r e d , even i f a s s e r t e d a g a i n s t an 
i n s u r e d who d i d n o t 
h i m s e l f engage i n 
the p r o h i b i t e d 
conduct. B u r l i n g t o n I n s . Co., 905 S.W.2d a t 362." 
C a n u t i l l o Indep. Sch. D i s t . v. N a t i o n a l Union F i r e I n s . Co. o f 
P i t t s b u r g h , Pa., 99 
F.3d 
695, 703-04 (5th C i r . 1996) (emphasis 
added). 
The same i s t r u e h e r e . 
The " l e g a l c l a i m s 
a s s e r t e d a r e 
not independent ... , b u t [are] r e l a t e d t o 
and dependent upon 
e x c l u d e d c o n d u c t , " i . e . , t h e a s s a u l t and b a t t e r y . 
The o n l y 
d i f f e r e n c e between t h i s case and 
t h e 
Texas case quoted above 
34 
1110993 
(and most 
o t h e r 
cases a d d r e s s i n g 
t h i s 
i s s u e ) 
i s t h a t t h e 
e x c l u s i o n i s 
deemed t o a p p l y i n t h e o t h e r cases t o b a r a c l a i m 
a g a i n s t a n e g l i g e n t i n s u r e d even though t h e a c t u a l a s s a u l t and 
b a t t e r y was not committed by t h a t i n s u r e d . 
Here, t h e a c t u a l 
a s s a u l t and b a t t e r y was committed by t h e same i n s u r e d s 
who 
seek 
r e c o v e r y . 
35