What does "vicarious liability" entail?

Vicarious liability refers to a legal principle where an employer is held responsible for the negligent actions of their employees that occur in the course of their employment. This means that if an employee causes harm or injury to another person while performing their job duties, the employer can be held liable for the employee's actions, even if the employer was not directly at fault.

This principle aims to ensure that victims have a means of recovering damages from a financially stable entity—like an employer—rather than from an individual employee who may not have sufficient resources to compensate for the harm caused. Vicarious liability emphasizes the employee-employer relationship and the responsibilities that come with it. In this way, the law recognizes the employer's role in controlling the actions of their employees within the workplace context. This understanding is critical in legal cases involving workplace incidents, as it can significantly impact the outcomes for both victims and employers.