View source for Definition:Assault and battery

🛡️ '''Assault and battery''' in insurance refers to a category of [[Definition:Liability insurance | liability]] exposure — and the corresponding [[Definition:Policy exclusion | policy exclusion]] or coverage endorsement — involving intentional or alleged intentional acts of physical harm by one person against another. This exposure is particularly significant in [[Definition:Commercial general liability (CGL) | commercial general liability]] and [[Definition:Liquor liability insurance | liquor liability]] insurance for businesses such as bars, nightclubs, restaurants, hotels, security firms, and entertainment venues, where the risk of violent incidents on the premises is elevated. Because most standard CGL policies exclude coverage for intentional acts, assault and battery occupies a distinct and often contentious space in insurance contract design and [[Definition:Claims management | claims adjudication]].

⚙️ Standard [[Definition:Commercial general liability (CGL) | CGL]] policies are built around the concept of an [[Definition:Occurrence | occurrence]] — an accident, including continuous or repeated exposure to conditions. Intentional acts of violence by the [[Definition:Insured | insured]] typically fall outside this definition, meaning a business owner who personally commits an assault would find no coverage. However, the more common insurance question involves vicarious or premises-based liability: a patron is injured by another patron or by a third-party assailant, and the business is sued for negligent security, failure to train staff, or inadequate supervision. Some policies contain a blanket assault and battery exclusion that removes coverage for any claim "arising out of" assault and battery, regardless of the insured's own culpability. Others offer assault and battery coverage as a separate [[Definition:Endorsement | endorsement]] or sublimit, often subject to specific [[Definition:Underwriting | underwriting]] conditions such as the presence of trained security personnel, surveillance systems, and incident reporting protocols. The distinction between these approaches can mean the difference between a covered claim and a [[Definition:Denial of claim | coverage denial]].

💡 Properly addressing assault and battery risk is critical for insurers and [[Definition:Insurance intermediary | brokers]] serving hospitality, entertainment, and security sectors. [[Definition:Claims | Claims]] in this area can produce substantial [[Definition:Bodily injury | bodily injury]] verdicts, particularly in U.S. jurisdictions where juries may award significant [[Definition:Compensatory damages | compensatory]] and [[Definition:Punitive damages | punitive damages]] against a business deemed to have been negligent. Underwriters evaluate factors such as venue type, hours of operation, alcohol service, neighborhood crime statistics, and security staffing when pricing this exposure. In the London and specialty markets, assault and battery coverage for high-risk venues is often written on a [[Definition:Claims-made policy | claims-made]] basis with carefully controlled [[Definition:Aggregate limit | aggregates]]. For [[Definition:Managing general agent (MGA) | MGAs]] and program administrators building hospitality programs, clearly defining whether the policy includes or excludes assault and battery — and communicating that distinction to policyholders — is one of the most consequential underwriting and coverage design decisions in the program.

'''Related concepts:'''
{{Div col|colwidth=20em}}
* [[Definition:Commercial general liability (CGL)]]
* [[Definition:Policy exclusion]]
* [[Definition:Liquor liability insurance]]
* [[Definition:Premises liability]]
* [[Definition:Bodily injury]]
* [[Definition:Endorsement]]
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