What Is Vicarious Liability, and How Does It Impact Accident Claims?

Vicarious liability means holding someone else responsible for another person’s actions. The classic example is when an employer is being held liable for their employees actions during work hours. If a delivery driver hits you, you can sue both the driver and their employer. This is huge for recovery because companies have deeper pockets than an individual usually does. It can apply to a construction company whose workers caused the accident, hospitals for their doctor’s malpractice, and property owners for their contractor’s negligence.

Parents can even be vicariously liable for their teen drivers in certain circumstances. This doctrine often turns a limited recovery into a substantial one because it brings in defendants with the real insurance coverage.