Tennessee Supreme Court reviews whether a plaintiff's injuries in a bar are covered by liability insurance

DONNA CLARK v. SPUTNIKS, LLC ET AL. AND LEONARD GAMBLE v. SPUTNIKS, LLC ET AL. (Tenn. May 30, 2012)

In these consolidated cases, the primary issue is whether there is liability insurance coverage for the plaintiffs’ injuries resulting from an altercation on the premises of the insured’s bar and restaurant. The insurer denied coverage and declined to defend the insured based on its determination that there was no coverage under the terms of the policy.

We hold that based on the clear terms of the policy agreement, there is no liability coverage because the incident arose from an assault and battery, which was an excluded cause, and because there is no nonexcluded concurrent cause to provide coverage. We further hold that estoppel by judgment does not apply to collaterally estop the insurer from arguing the lack of coverage. The judgment of the trial court is reversed.

Opinion available at:
https://www.tba.org/sites/default/files/gamble_053012.pdf

Court Reviews Liability of a Bar's Insurer for the Death of a Bar Patron

DONNA CLARK v. SPUTNIKS, LLC ET AL. (Tenn. Ct. App. May 26, 2011)



The trial court determined that the insurer of a bar was liable under its commercial general liability policy and liquor liability policy for the death of a bar patron. We have concluded that this occurrence is excluded under the assault and battery exclusion of the commercial general liability policy but is covered by the liquor liability policy. 


Opinion available at:

http://www.tba2.org/tba_files/TCA/2011/clarkd_052611.pdf