Ala. Code
Code of Alabama

Ala. Code § 11-47-191 (2026)

Institution of Actions, Entry, and Execution of Judgments Against Municipalities and Other Persons or Corporations Jointly Liable.

✓ official Alabama Legislature (ALISON) text, laws through the 2026 Regular Session
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(a) The injured party, if he institutes a civil action against the municipality for damages suffered by him, shall also join such other person or persons or corporation so liable as defendant or defendants of the civil action, and no judgment shall be entered against the city or town unless judgment is entered against such other person or corporation so liable for such injury, except where a summons is returned not found as to a defendant or when judgment is entered in his favor on some personal defense, and if a civil action be brought against the city or town alone and it is made to appear that any person or corporation ought to be joined as a defendant in the action according to the provisions in Section 11-47-190, the action shall be dismissed, unless the plaintiff amends his complaint by making such party or corporation a defendant, if a resident of the state, but no person shall be sued jointly with the city or town who would not be liable separately, irrespective of this provision.

(b) When a judgment shall be obtained against a municipality and the other party liable as provided in subsection (a) of this section, execution shall issue against the other defendant or defendants in the ordinary form and shall not be demandable of the city or town unless the other defendants are insolvent and the same cannot be made out of their property, and the city or town shall pay only so much of the said judgment as cannot be collected from the other defendants.

(c) If the injured party shall, before bringing the civil action, demand of the mayor or other chief executive officer of such municipality the name of such other person or persons or corporation as may be liable jointly with the said municipality to such injured party, and if such mayor or other chief executive officer fails to furnish, within 10 days from the making of such demand, the name of such person or persons or corporation so jointly liable, the said injured party shall not be required to join such other person as a party defendant with said municipality in any civil action brought to recover damages for such injuries.

(Code 1907, §1274; Code 1923, §2030; Code 1940, T. 37, §503.)

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 4 cases (1 in the last 5 years), 2003–2021 · leading case: Miller v. City of Birmingham, 235 So. 3d 220 (Ala. 2017).
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Miller v. City of Birmingham, 235 So. 3d 220 (Ala. 2017). · cites it 6× “Miller failed to add Unum, an allegedly indispensable party, which, the City defendants argued, deprived the circuit court of subject-matter jurisdiction, and (4) Unum is jointly liable with the City defendants and, thus, required to be joined as a party under § 11-47-191, Ala.…”
City of Prattville v. Corley, 892 So. 2d 845 (Ala. 2003). “Code 1975, and § 11-47-191, Ala.Code 1975, are primarily joinder and indemnification statutes and that § 11-47-190 does not provide the sole basis for their claims against the City.”
City of Huntsville v. Lane, 897 So. 2d 275 (Ala. 2004). · cites it 7× “, to vacate its order dismissing The Ledges, or, in the alternative, to alter or amend its order dismissing The Ledges, so as to condition the dismissal of The Ledges upon the contemporaneous dismissal of the City, in accordance with the provisions of § 11-47-191, Ala. Code…”
Scruggs v. City of Montgomery, No. 2:19-cv-00317 (M.D. Ala. Sept. 27, 2021). “§ 11-47-191, Ala. Code (“The injured party, if he institutes a civil action against the municipality for damages suffered by him, shall also join such other person or persons or corporation so liable as defendant or defendants of the civil action, and no judgment shall be…”
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