South Florida Injury Lawyers Blog
In many auto accidents resulting in injury, it is not only the driver and/or his insurance company that may be held liable for damages.
Sometimes, the owner of a vehicle (if different from the driver) can be held responsible, through a doctrine called vicarious liability. If the driver was working, the employer may be held liable via the doctrine of respondeat superior. Alternatively, injured persons could claim negligent hiring, retention or supervision. If the driver was a drunk minor, the establishment that served him alcohol could be responsible under Florida’s dram shop law.
And in some instances, a passenger may in fact be liable as well. Generally, this involves cases where a passenger in some way negligently asserted or assumed control over vehicle operations.