Tort Negligence Liability For Principals And Agents In Palm Beach
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Agent owes the principal five duties: performance, notification, loyalty, obedience, and accounting. (631).
Similarly, if the agent or principal loses capacity to enter into an agency relationship, it is suspended or terminated. The agency terminates if its purpose becomes illegal. Even though authority has terminated, whether by action of the parties or operation of law, the principal may still be subject to liability.
When an agent acts within the authority given to it by its principal, the principal is liable for the agent's actions. The principal will be held liable even if the specific act was not authorized by or known to the principal.
The principal is liable on an agent's contract only if the agent was authorized by the principal to make the contract. Such authority is express, implied, or apparent.
Key Takeaway. A person is always liable for her own torts, so an agent who commits a tort is liable; if the tort was in the scope of employment the principal is liable too. Unless the principal put the agent up to committing the tort, the agent will have to reimburse the principal.
A principal is vicariously liable for the tort of his agent committed within the course of his authority.
This is especially true if the third party is made aware of the agent's authority limitations. In this situation, the third party may still attempt to sue the principal for any damages caused. However, the principal can then turn around and sue the agent to recover any damages caused.
Key Takeaway. The principal will be liable for the employee's torts in two circumstances: first, if the principal was directly responsible, as in hiring a person the principal knew or should have known was incompetent or dangerous; second, if the employee committed the tort in the scope of business for the principal.
A principal may be liable for an agent's tort (1) resulting from the principal's own tortious conduct, (2) authorized by the principal, or (3) committed within the scope of the agency.
A person is always liable for her own torts, so an agent who commits a tort is liable; if the tort was in the scope of employment the principal is liable too. Unless the principal put the agent up to committing the tort, the agent will have to reimburse the principal.