An Alabama daycare negligence case that produced a $1 million jury verdict has reached a settlement, bringing an end to a separate insurance coverage battle over a child left alone inside a van during a field trip.

Evanston Insurance Co., another insurer and the child’s mother have agreed to a $325,000 resolution, according to federal court filings. The agreement settles the coverage dispute surrounding the verdict against Watch Me Grow Child Development Center, while dividing the payment between two insurance companies.

Under the proposed agreement, Evanston will contribute $150,000, while Progressive Specialty Insurance Co., which is not a party to the litigation, will pay $175,000 to the child, identified in court documents as B.L.

In return, the parties will mutually release all claims against one another, according to a proposed order filed Tuesday.

The agreement marks a significant development in a case that began with allegations of a child being left unattended and expanded into a dispute over whether an insurer was responsible for covering the resulting judgment.

Evanston $1M Settlement: How the Money Will Be Distributed

Child to Receive $189,000 Through a Trust

Although the combined settlement totals $325,000, the child’s net recovery will be lower after legal fees and other expenses are deducted.

According to the filing, B.L. will receive $189,000 after accounting for costs associated with the child’s attorney in the underlying negligence case and other expenses. The funds will be placed in a trust.

The proposed order outlines the financial terms of the agreement and the mutual release of claims. The settlement resolves the parties’ coverage dispute, which followed a jury’s decision to award Jones $1 million against the daycare.

The difference between the jury’s award and the settlement amount highlights the financial complications that can emerge when an underlying negligence verdict triggers a separate fight over insurance coverage.

Lawsuit Began After Child Was Left Alone in a Van

Mother Filed Negligence Claim in May 2024

Tyeshia Jones, B.L.’s mother, sued Watch Me Grow Child Development Center in Alabama state court in May 2024.

Her lawsuit alleged that daycare employees left her child alone inside a van during a field trip in May 2023. According to the allegations, a bystander eventually discovered the child and located the center’s staff.

The case proceeded to trial, where a jury found in Jones’ favor in June 2025 and awarded her $1 million against Watch Me Grow, court filings show.

That verdict, however, opened another legal front. Rather than ending the dispute, the judgment prompted a fight over whether the daycare’s insurer had to defend the center and pay the damages.

Evanston Challenged Its Responsibility for the Verdict

Evanston filed its federal coverage lawsuit one day after the trial court entered judgment against Watch Me Grow.

The insurer argued that its commercial general liability policy did not cover the incident because it excluded bodily injury or property damage arising from the use of an automobile. On that basis, Evanston maintained that it had no obligation to defend or indemnify the daycare.

The company also argued that it was not required to satisfy Jones’ judgment under the policy.

Watch Me Grow pushed back, filing counterclaims accusing Evanston of breaching its contract and acting in bad faith. The daycare alleged that the insurer improperly refused to provide a defense or indemnification and unreasonably declined to settle the original lawsuit within the policy’s limits.

Jones also pursued a counterclaim under Alabama’s Direct Action Statute, seeking to access coverage under Evanston’s policy to satisfy the judgment against the daycare.

The dispute therefore turned on a central insurance question: whether the policy’s auto-related exclusion relieved Evanston of responsibility for the underlying claim.

Parties Reach Resolution After Months of Litigation

Coverage Dispute Settled in August

Court filings show that the parties informed the court in August that they had resolved all claims. The proposed order filed Tuesday outlines the terms of the $325,000 agreement.

Representatives for the parties did not immediately respond to requests for comment Friday.

The settlement brings the coverage litigation to a resolution, with Evanston and Progressive sharing the payment and B.L.’s net proceeds set to be held in trust. The agreement also provides for mutual releases of claims among the parties.

The settlement follows a legal journey that moved from a negligence claim in state court to a federal dispute over insurance obligations. At its center remains the allegation that a child was left alone in a van during a daycare field trip — an incident that led to a million-dollar jury verdict and a subsequent battle over who would bear the financial consequences.

Attorneys Representing the Parties

Evanston Insurance Co. is represented by Brandon J. Clapp of Swift Currie McGhee & Hiers LLP.

Watch Me Grow Child Development Center is represented by Ronnie L. Williams of Williams & Associates LLC.

Jones is represented by Taylor B. Johnson of Burr & Forman LLP.

The settlement resolves the coverage claims described in the court filings, replacing a contested dispute over policy obligations with an agreed payment arrangement. The child’s $189,000 net recovery will be placed in a trust under the proposed order.