Opinion ID: 535631
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Coverage of the Assault and Battery Claims

Text: 19 The workers' compensation and employers liability policy issued by Southern Guaranty to Southern Publishing provides in pertinent part: PART TWO--EMPLOYERS LIABILITY INSURANCE
20 This employers liability insurance applies to bodily injury by accident or bodily injury by disease. 21 . . . . .
22 We will pay all sums you legally must pay as damages because of bodily injury to your employees, provided the bodily injury is covered by this Employers Liability Insurance. 23 . . . . .
This insurance does not cover: 24 . . . . . 25 5. bodily injury intentionally caused or aggravated by you; 26 . . . . . 27 7. damages arising out of the discharge of, coercion of, or discrimination against any employee in violation of law.
28 We have the right and duty to defend, at our expense, any claim, proceeding or suit against you for damages payable by this insurance. 29 . . . . . 30 We have no duty to defend a claim, proceeding or suit that is not covered by this insurance. 31 Southern Guaranty argues that Corn and Honeycutt's allegations of assault and battery were not covered as bodily injuries under this policy because Corn and Honeycutt alleged that the assault and battery resulted in purely emotional rather than physical or bodily injury. We disagree. 32 In determining an insurer's duty to defend its insured, Mississippi has adopted the allegations of the complaint rule. J.C. Meng v. Bituminous Casualty Corp., 626 F.Supp. 1237 (S.D.Miss.1986). Under this rule an insurer's duty to defend an action against its insured is measured by the allegations in the plaintiff's pleadings regardless of the ultimate outcome of the action. While Corn and Honeycutt's complaint does not expressly allege that either of them was injured as a result of the assault and battery by Robert Thompson, paragraph 21 of the complaint alleges that Debra Corn and Peggy Honeycutt have suffered physical pain as well as embarrassment, humiliation and emotional distress. (Emphasis added). We agree with the district court that this allegation of physical pain is sufficient, in connection with the allegations of continued and persistent grabbing and assault and battery, to allege bodily injury 1 under the policy. Since a claim for bodily injury was made under the policy, we conclude that the district court correctly found that under Mississippi law Southern Guaranty was required to assume the defense of these claims. 2