A recent Paterson accident lawyer case illustrates an important point. A woman named Ana drove her car in Paterson. At the same time, a man named Andre operated a street sweeper. The City of Paterson employed Andre. It was Andre’s job to keep Paterson’s streets clean.
Unfortunately for Ana, Andre drove his street sweeper vehicle into Ana’s car. Ana claimed that she suffered a severe injury.
PATERSON ACCIDENT LAWYER CASE FILED
Accordingly, Anna hired an injury lawyer. Naturally, the lawyer filed a lawsuit against Andre. But could the lawyer also sue the City of Paterson?
IS AN EMPLOYER RESPONSIBLE FOR ITS EMPLOYEE’S CARELESS DRIVING?
On the one hand, the City of Paterson didn’t tell Andre to crash into Ana’s car.
On the other hand, Andre was on duty for Paterson at the time of the accident.
Many people do not carry adequate insurance. Most people do not have many assets. Therefore, if victims like Ana are only allowed to sue the person who injured them, they may not receive full compensation. Businesses typically have more insurance coverage than individuals. Businesses also often have more assets than a typical person.
“RESPONDEAT SUPERIOR” PERMITS THE LAWSUIT
Fortunately, for accident victims like Ana, a legal doctrine called respondeat superior can help. Under the doctrine, an employer is responsible for the negligence of its employees. However, the employer’s liability is limited to situations where the employee acts within the scope of his employment. In other words, if the employee does something that is not job-related, the employer likely would not be responsible.
Thus, the Paterson accident lawyer representing Ana also sued the city. Anna eventually received an award of $165,000.
If an employee of a business injured you, feel free to contact me. Likewise, if you ever need a Paterson accident lawyer, please let me know.
