Vicarious Liability in Florida Motorcycle Accidents
In Florida motorcycle accidents, there can be numerous defendants – sometimes including those who weren’t actually behind the wheel. In a recent motorcycle accident lawsuit that settled mid-trial for $1 million, the defendants included the driver as well as the owner of the vehicle, which in this case was the driver’s employer, a commercial cleaning company. They were held responsible by a legal doctrine called vicarious liability.
As our Fort Myers Motorcycle Accident Lawyers can explain, vicarious liability is the legal term for when one party is held responsible for the unlawful actions of another. Vicarious liability is relevant in auto accident cases wherein one party is responsible for/has control over a third party or a type of property.
There are several ways in which third parties can be held vicariously liable for Florida motorcycle accidents. The two applicable in this case are the liabilities imposed on employers and vehicle owners in Florida. Continue reading