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Insurance Coverage for Vicarious Liability for Intentional Acts

No person can insure against his own intentional acts. Public policy forbids it. But public policy does not forbid one to insure against the intentional acts of another for which he may be vicariously liable.

If the exclusionary language in the personal liability insurance policy applies to the intent of “the” insured, then only the intent of “the” person for whom coverage is sought for his/her vicarious liability under the policy will be dispositive, rather than the intent of the intentional actor for whom the person for whom coverage is sought is vicariously liable, and coverage will not be excluded. However, if the exclusionary language in the policy applies to “an” or “any” or “one or more” insureds, then the intent of the intentional actor will be dispositive and coverage will be excluded.

See McBride v. Lyles, 303 So. 2d 795 (La.App. 3d Cir. 1974) (“the” insured); Lamkin v. Brooks, 498 So.2d 1068 (La. 1986) (“any” insured); Travelers Ins. Co. v. Blanchard, 431 So.2d 913 (La.App. 2d Cir.1983) (“an” insured); and Leslie v. Andrews, 905 So.2d 368 (La.App. 4th Cir. 2005), writ denied, 901 So.2d 1077 (La.2005) (“one or more” insureds).

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