Mississippi Code 1972 (2023) › Title 11 - CIVIL PRACTICE AND PROCEDURE (§§ 11-1-1 — 11-77-7) › Chapter 46 - IMMUNITY OF STATE AND POLITICAL SUBDIVISIONS FROM LIABILITY AND SUIT FOR TORTS AND TORTS OF EMPLOYEES (§§ 11-46-1 — 11-46-23) › Section 11-46-7 - Exclusiveness of remedy; joinder of government employee; immunity for acts or omissions occurring within course and scope of employee's duties; provision of defense for and payment of judgments or settlements of claims against employees; contribution or indemnification by employee

(1)
The remedy provided by this chapter against a governmental entity or its employee is exclusive of any other civil action or civil proceeding by reason of the same subject matter against the governmental entity or its employee or the estate of the employee for the act or omission which gave rise to the claim or suit; and any claim made or suit filed against a governmental entity or its employee to recover damages for any injury for which immunity has been waived under this chapter shall be brought only under the provisions of this chapter, notwithstanding the provisions of any other law to the contrary.
(2)
An employee may be joined in an action against a governmental entity in a representative capacity if the act or omission complained of is one for which the governmental entity may be liable, but no employee shall be held personally liable for acts or omissions occurring within the course and scope of the employee's duties. For the purposes of this chapter an employee shall not be considered as acting within the course and scope of his employment and a governmental entity shall not be liable or be considered to have waived immunity for any conduct of its employee if the employee's conduct constituted fraud, malice, libel, slander, defamation or any criminal offense.
(3)
From and after July 1, 1993, as to the state, from and after October 1, 1993, as to political subdivisions, and subject to the provisions of this chapter, every governmental entity shall be responsible for providing a defense to its employees and for the payment of any judgment in any civil action or the settlement of any claim against an employee for money damages arising out of any act or omission within the course and scope of his employment; provided, however, that to the extent that a governmental entity has in effect a valid and current certificate of coverage issued by the board as provided in Section
11-46-17
, or in the case of a political subdivision, such political subdivision has a plan or policy of insurance and/or reserves which the board has approved as providing satisfactory security for the defense and protection of the political subdivision against all claims and suits for injury for which immunity has been waived under this chapter, the governmental entity's duty to indemnify and/or defend such claim on behalf of its employee shall be secondary to the obligation of any such insurer or indemnitor, whose obligation shall be primary. The provisions of this subsection shall not be construed to alter or relieve any such indemnitor or insurer of any legal obligation to such employee or to any governmental entity vicariously liable on account of or legally responsible for damages due to the allegedly wrongful error, omissions, conduct, act or deed of such employee.
(4)
The responsibility of a governmental entity to provide a defense for its employee shall apply whether the claim is brought in a court of this or any other state or in a court of the United States.
(5)
A governmental entity shall not be entitled to contribution or indemnification, or reimbursement for legal fees and expenses from its employee unless a court shall find that the act or omission of the employee was outside the course and scope of his employment. Any action by a governmental entity against its employee and any action by an employee against the governmental entity for contribution, indemnification, or necessary legal fees and expenses shall be tried to the court in the same suit brought on the claim against the governmental entity or its employee.
(6)
The duty to defend and to pay any judgment as provided in subsection (3) of this section shall continue after employment with the governmental entity has been terminated, if the occurrence for which liability is alleged happened within the course and scope of duty while the employee was in the employ of the governmental entity.
(7)
For the purposes of this chapter and not otherwise, it shall be a rebuttable presumption that any act or omission of an employee within the time and at the place of his employment is within the course and scope of his employment.
(8)
Nothing in this chapter shall enlarge or otherwise adversely affect the personal liability of an employee of a governmental entity. Any immunity or other bar to a civil suit under Mississippi or federal law shall remain in effect. The fact that a governmental entity may relieve an employee from all necessary legal fees and expenses and any judgment arising from the civil lawsuit shall not under any circumstances be communicated to the trier of fact in the civil lawsuit.
Laws, 1984, ch. 495, § 5; reenacted and amended, Laws, 1985, ch. 474, § 4; reenacted and amended, Laws, 1986, ch. 438, § 3; Laws, 1987, ch. 483, § 4; Laws, 1988, ch. 442, § 4; Laws, 1989, ch. 537, § 4; Laws, 1990, ch. 518, § 4; Laws, 1991, ch. 618, § 4; Laws, 1992, ch. 491 § 6; Laws, 1993, ch. 476, § 3, eff. 4/1/1993.