Employers can be held legally responsible for injuries caused by their employees under the principles of vicarious liability specifically through the doctrine of respondeat superior. This means that if an employee causes harm while performing duties within the scope of their employment, the employer may be liable for any resulting damages.
To establish vicarious liability, two key elements must be proven, the existence of an employer employee relationship and that the employee was acting within their job duties at the time of the incident.
However, employer liability has limitations. If an employee steps outside their job responsibilities such as running personal errands or engaging misconduct, the employer may not be held responsible. For example if a delivery driver takes an unauthorized detour for personal reasons and causes an accident, the employee may be personally responsible for any damages.