Tort Components: Vicarious Liability
The dictionary defines "vicarious" as "taking the place of another." The legal concept of vicarious liability imposes legal responsibility for causing an injury to someone or something that in reality had nothing whatsoever to do with actually causing the injury.
Vicarious liability often occurs through the doctrine of respondeat superior, under which the "superior" is legally responsible for the acts of his subordinate. The doctrine is commonly applied in the employee - employer relationship. When an employee is negligent on the job, the employer is legally responsible for any damage or injury the employee causes. The use of this concept is helpful to the injury victim because often the negligent employee is financially unable to pay the judgment, while the employer is typically much more capable of doing so.
-- Article Courtesy of InjuryBoard.com
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