The widening of vicarious liability: implications for employers

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine how the concept of vicarious liability has developed in recent years.

Design/methodology/approach

This work analyses case law decisions pertaining to vicarious liability.

Findings

The paper examines how court decisions have acted to widen considerably the application of vicarious liability in a business context.

Research limitations/implications

Further research could usefully speculate on the direction the law might take in the future.

Practical implications

The paper reveals how vicarious liability applies in a business context and provides some pertinent learning outcomes for employers from case law development.

Originality/value

The analysis presented in this paper explains how an important legal concept applies in a contemporary business context.

Citation

Lockwood, G. (2011), "The widening of vicarious liability: implications for employers", International Journal of Law and Management, Vol. 53 No. 2, pp. 149-164. https://doi.org/10.1108/17542431111119414