Broad indemnification clauses require one party to cover another's losses regardless of fault. Texas's anti-indemnity statute voids provisions in construction contracts that require a party to cover claims caused by the other party's negligence.
The cases below are organized by outcome and significance. Flagship cases represent the most-cited opinions that have shaped how broad indemnification clauses are interpreted in Texas courts.
A manufacturer must indemnify an innocent seller for products liability litigation costs under Texas Civil Practice & Remedies Code § 82.002(a), even if the seller did not sell the particular defective product that injured the plaintiff, provided the seller qualifies as a 'seller' under the statute.
A surety does not owe a common law duty of good faith to its principal, but good faith is a contractual condition precedent to indemnification, requiring proof of improper motive or willful ignorance rather than mere negligence.
A premises owner that contracts for work performance and provides workers' compensation insurance to contractors' employees qualifies as a statutory employer entitled to the exclusive remedy defense under the Texas Workers' Compensation Act.
134 opinions sorted by most cited
| CASE | CITATION | OUTCOME | CITES |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fitzgerald v. Advanced Spine Fixation Systems, Inc. Texas Supreme Court | 996 S.W.2d 864 (1999) | enforced | 1,055 |
| Associated Indemnity Corp. v. CAT Contracting, Inc. Texas Supreme Court | 964 S.W.2d 276 (1998) | modified | 765 |
| Entergy Gulf States, Inc. v. Summers Texas Supreme Court | 282 S.W.3d 433 (2009) | enforced | 755 |
| Gould Electronics Inc., F/k/a Gould Inc. American Premier Underwriters, Inc. v. United States of America Gould Electronics Inc. American Premier Underwriters, Inc. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit | 220 F.3d 169 (2000) | remanded | 595 |
| Gilbert Texas Construction, L.P. v. Underwriters at Lloyd's London Texas Supreme Court | 327 S.W.3d 118 (2010) | enforced | 493 |
| The Burlington Insurance Company v. NYC Transit Authority New York Court of Appeals | 29 N.Y.3d 313 (2017) | enforced | 486 |
| Continental Casualty Co. v. Rapid-American Corp. New York Court of Appeals | 80 N.Y.2d 640 (1993) | enforced | 434 |
| Burke v. Regalado Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit | 935 F.3d 960 (2019) | enforced | 399 |
| Employers Mutual Casualty Co. v. Bartile Roofs, Inc. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit | 618 F.3d 1153 (2010) | enforced | 396 |
| Demoulas v. Demoulas Super Markets, Inc. Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court | 424 Mass. 501 (1997) | remanded | 390 |
| Getty Oil Co. v. Insurance Co. of North America Texas Supreme Court | 845 S.W.2d 794 (1993) | modified | 389 |
| Ronald O. Pelletier v. Gary D. Zweifel, Ronald O. Pelletier v. Gary D. Zweifel Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit | 921 F.2d 1465 (1991) | modified | 384 |
| American Family Mutual Insurance v. American Girl, Inc. Wisconsin Supreme Court | 2004 WI 2 (2004) | enforced | 366 |
| Elliott-Williams Co., Inc. v. Diaz Texas Supreme Court | 9 S.W.3d 801 (1999) | enforced | 350 |
| Siebe, Inc. v. Louis M. Gerson Co. Massachusetts Appeals Court | 74 Mass. App. Ct. 544 (2009) | remanded | 344 |
| PPG Industries, Inc. v. JMB/Houston Centers Partners Ltd. Partnership Texas Supreme Court | 146 S.W.3d 79 (2004) | voided | 329 |
| Toy v. Metropolitan Life Insurance Supreme Court of Pennsylvania | 928 A.2d 186 (2007) | modified | 324 |
| Equal Rights Center v. NILES BOLTON ASSOCIATES Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit | 602 F.3d 597 (2010) | enforced | 308 |
| Enserch Corp. v. Parker Texas Supreme Court | 794 S.W.2d 2 (1990) | enforced | 285 |
| Keck, Mahin & Cate v. National Union Fire Insurance Co. of Pittsburgh Texas Supreme Court | 20 S.W.3d 692 (2000) | remanded | 277 |