Murray v. Royal Indemnity Co.

On or about February 7, 1955, an employee in plaintiff’s “chick” store in Sioux City used a common garden hose to water the chicks by drawing water from an inside faucet to their troughs. After completing the operation he turned the water off at the nozzle but failed to shut off the faucet.

Sometime during the ensuing night the water pressure burst the hose and flooded the store and went through the partition into an adjoining retail shoe store causing damage for which plaintiff was liable to his neighbor but for which defendant insurance company denied liability. Plaintiff thereupon paid his…