Jurisdiction

Insurable

Non-Insurable

Vicarious

Liability

Not Recognized

Undetermined

Citations

Alabama

•

*

Capitol Motor Lines v. Loring, 189 So. 897 (Ala. 1939)

Alaska

•

*

Municipality's punitive damages held insurable in Providence Washington v. City of Valdez, 684 P.2d 861 (Alaska 1984) (however, punitive damages are not available against gov't entities per AS §09.50.280); see also Sauer v. Home Indemnity Company, 841 P.2d 176 (Alaska 1992) indicating coverage would be available for punitive awards

Arizona

•

*

Price v. Hartford Acc. & Indem. Co., 502 P.2d 522 (Ariz. 1972); see also State Farm Mut. Auto. Ins. v. Wilson, 782 P.2d 727 (Ariz. 1989) indicating UM/UIM does not cover punitive damages

Arkansas

•

•

Southern Farm Bureau Cas. Ins. Co. v. Daniel, 440 S.W.2d 582 (Ark. 1969); vicarious liability held insurable in same case.

California

•

PPG Industries, Inc. v. Transamerica Ins. Co., 20 Cal 4th 310 (Cal. 1999)

Colorado

•

Brown v. Western Casualty and Surety Co., 484 P.2d 1252 (Colo.App. 1971)

Connecticut

â–ª

•

Bodner v. U.S. Auto Assoc., 222 Conn. 480 (Conn. 1992)

Delaware

•

*

Whalen v. On-Deck, Inc., 514 A.2d 1072 (Del. 1986); special restrictions if medical negligence

Del. Code Ann. tit. 18, § 6855

Florida

•

•

Nicholson v. American Fire & Cas. Ins. Co., 177 So. 2d 52 (Fla.App. 1965); vicarious liability insurable in Sterling Ins. Co. v. Hughes, 187 So.2d 898 (Fla.App. 1966); Fla. Stat. Ann. § 627.737

Georgia

•

*

Greenwood Cemetery v. Travelers Indem. Co., 232 S.E.2d 910 (Ga. 1977); “express decision in Federal that the enactment of OCGA § 51-12-5.1 did not supersede the Supreme Court's holding in Greenwood that insurance against punitive damages is legislatively authorized” Lunceford v. Peachtree Cas. Ins. Co., 230 Ga. App. 4, 8, 495 S.E.2d 88, 91 (1997) citing Fed. Ins. Co. v. Nat. Distrib. Co., 203 Ga.App. 763, 417 S.E.2d 671 (1992).

Hawaii

•

*

Allstate Ins. Co. v. Takeda, 243 F. Supp. 2d 1100 (D. Haw. 2003); Haw. Rev. Stat. §431:10-240

Idaho

•

•

Abbie Uriguen Oldsmobile Buick, Inc. v. United States Fire Ins. Co., 511 P.2d 783 (Idaho 1973); vicarious liability held insurable in same case.

Illinois

•

•

Beaver v. Country Mutual Ins. Co., 420 N.E.2d 1058 (Ill.App. 1981); vicarious liability insurable in Scott v. Instate Parking, Inc., 245 N.E. 2d 124 (Ill.App., 1969)

Indiana

•

•

Norfolk & Western Railway Co. v. Hartford Acc. and Indem. Co., 420 F. Supp. 92 (D.C.Ind. 1976); vicarious liability held insurable in same case

Iowa

•

•

Skyline Harvestore Systems, Inc. v. Centennial Ins. Co., 331 N.W.2d 106 (Iowa 1983)

Kansas

•

â–ª

Hartford Acc. & Indem. Co.v. American Red Ball Transit Co., Inc., 938 P.2d 1281 (Kan. 1997); also see K.S.A. 40-2,115 for vicarious liability insurability

Kentucky

•

•

Continental Ins. Co. v. Hancock, 507 S.W. 2d 146 (Ky. 1974); vicarious liability held insurable in same case; see also Kentucky Cent. Ins. Co. v. Schneider, 15 S.W.3d 373 (Ky. 2000) indicating UM coverage does not cover punitive damages

Louisiana

•

•

Creech v. Aetna Cas. & Surety Co., 516 So.2d 1168 (La.App. 1987)

Maine

•

*

Braley v. Berkshire Mutual Ins.Co., 440 A.2d 359 (Me. 1982) indicating UM insurance does not cover punitive damages

Maryland

•

*

First Nat'l Bank of St. Mary's v. Fidelity & Deposit Co., 389 A.2d 359 (Md. 1978)

Massachusetts

•^[1]

Caperci v. Huntoon, 397 F.2d 799 (1st Cir. 1968)

Michigan

.•

*

Meijer, Inc. v. General Star Indemnity, 826 F. Supp. 241 (W.D.Mich., 1993)

Minnesota

•

•

Courts reluctant to reward: see Rosenbloom v. Flygare, 501 N.W.2d 597 (Minn. 1993); however, it is legally permitted: see Minn. Stat. Ann. § 60A.06.

Mississippi

•

*

Anthony v. Frith, 394 So. 2d 867 (Miss. 1981)

Missouri

â–ª

•

Colson v. Lloyd's of London, 435 S.W. 2d 42 (Mo.App., 1968); vicarious liability found insurable in Ohio Cas. Ins. v. Welfare Finance Co., 75 F.2d 58 (1934)

Montana

•

*

First Bank – Billings v. Transamerica Ins. Co., 679 P.2d 1217 (Mont. 1984). Note -Statute prohibits punitive damages against government entities. MCA 33-15-317 (not covered unless expressly stated.)

Nebraska

•

Miller v. Kingsley, 230 N.W.2d 472 (Neb. 1975) indicating punitive damages not allowed.

Nevada

•

*

Nev. Rev. Stat. §681A.095

New Hampshire

•

*

American Home Assurance Co. v. Fish, 122 N.H. 711 (N.H. 1982)

New Jersey

•

•

Johnson & Johnson v. Aetna Cas. and Sur. Co., 667 A.2d 1087 (N.J.Super.A.D., 1995); vicarious liability held insurable in Malanga v. Manufacturer's Cas. Co., 146 A.2d 105 (N.J. 1958)

New Mexico

•

*

Wolff v. General Casualty Co. of America, 361 P.2d 330 (N.M. 1961)

New York

•

Hartford Acc. and Indem. Co. v. Village of Hempstead, 48 N.Y.2d 218 (N.Y. 1979)

North Carolina

•

*

Mazza v. Medical Mutual Ins. Co. of North Carolina, 319 S.E.2d 217 (N.C. 1987); “may exclude or limit coverage” but be sure to state explicitly in policy. N.C. Gen. Stat. Ann. § 58-41-50.

North Dakota

•

Continental Cas. Co. v. Kinsey, 499 N.W.2d 574 (N.D. 1993); N.D. Cent. Code Ann. § 26.1-29-11

Ohio

“absent specific contractual language, coverage for punitive or exemplary damages will not be presumed”

State Farm Mut.Ins. Co. v. Blevins, 49 Ohio St. 3d 165, 551 N.E.2d 955 (1990)

•

•

Ruffin v. Sawchyn, 599 N.E.2d 852 (Ohio App. 1991); Empire Fire & Marine Ins. Co. v. Parkview Manor, Inc., 1985 WL 7176 (Ohio App. 1985); R.C. § 3937.182

Oklahoma

•

•

Dayton Hudson v. American Mutual Liability Ins. Co., 621 P2d 1155 (Okl. 1980)

Oregon

•

•

Harrell v. Travelers Indem Co., 567 P.2d 1013 (Or. 1977); vicarious liability held insurable in same case

Pennsylvania

•

•

Esmond v. Liscio, 224 A.2d 793 (Pa.Super. 1966), vicarious liability held insurable in same case

Rhode Island

•

Allen v. Simmons, 533 A.2d 541 (R.I. 1987)

South Carolina

•

*

Carroway v. Johnson, 139 S.E.2d 908 (S.C. 1965)

South Dakota

•

City of Ft. Pierre v. United Fire and Casualty Co., 463 N.W.2d 845 (S.D. 1990)

Tennessee

•

•

Lazenby v. Universal Underwriters, 383 S.W.2d 1 (Tenn. 1964); vicarious liability held insurable in General Cas. Co. v. Woodby, 238 F.2d 452 (6th Cir. 1956)

Texas

•^[2]

Certain types of pools and associations may not cover punitive. See statutes cited to.

*

Dairyland County Mutual v. Wallgren, 477 S.W.2d 341 (Tex.App. 1972); American Home Assurance v. Safeway Steel, 743 S.W.2d 693 (1987); See also Fairfield Ins. Co. v. Stephens Martin Paving, LP, 246 S.W.3d 653 (Tex. 2008); Certain types of pools and associations are not permitted to cover punitive. Tex. Ins. Code Ann. § 2209.303; Tex. Ins. Code Ann. § 2203.154; Tex. Ins. Code Ann. § 2208.303.

Utah

•

Utah Code §31A-20-101

Vermont

•

*

State v. Glens Falls Ins. Co., 404 A.2d 101 (Vt. 1979)

Virginia

•

Lipscombe v. Security Ins. Co. of Hartford, 189 S.E.2d 320 (Va. 1972); VA Code Ann. § 38.2-227

Washington

•

Fluke Corp. v. Hartford Accident & Indemnity Co., 34 P.3d 809 (Wash. 2001)

West Virginia

•

*

Hensley v. Erie Ins. Co., 283 S.E. 2d 227 (W.Va. 1981)

Wisconsin

•

*

Brown v. Maxey, 369 N.W.2d 677 (Wis. 1985)

Wyoming

â–ª

•

Sinclair Oil Corp. v. Columbia Cas. Co., 682 P.2d 975 (Wyo. 1984)

D.C.

•

Curry v. Giant Food Co., 522 A.2d 1283 (D.C. 1987)

Guam

•

Fajardo ex rel. Fajardo v. Liberty House Guam, 2000 Guam 4 (Guam Jan. 19, 2000).

Puerto Rico

•

NPR, Inc. v. Am. Int'l Ins. Co. of Puerto Rico, 242 F. Supp. 2d 121, 127 (D. P.R. 2003)

Virgin Islands

•

Only if this exact language is in k: “PUNITIVE DAMAGES ARE EXPLICITLY COVERED BY THE TERMS OF THIS POLICY AS AGREED UPON BY THE PARTIES HERETO AND FOR WHICH AN ADDITIONAL PREMIUM HAS BEEN PAID.”

*

§ 815 Additional contents, 22 V.I.C. § 815

* In these states, question of insurability of vicarious liability has not been determined but since the direct imposition of punitive damages is insurable, indirect imposition of such damages through vicarious liability is also presumed to be insurable.