The Future of Vicarious Liability

• Author: David R. Wingfield
• Pages: 515-542



TheFutureofVicariousLiability

DavidRWingeld*

A. INTRODUCTION

Conventionallegalanalysistreatsvicariousliabilityasaspeciesofin-

directnofaultliabilitythepersonwhoisvicariouslyliableisstrictly

responsibletopayfordamagethatwasdirectlycausedbythewrongful

actoromissionofsomeoneelseThoughtheconcepthasbeenaround

foraverylongtimesincebeforetheGreatWarinitsmodernform

lawyersandjudgeshaveagreatdealofdicultyagreeingonwhenitis

appropriatetoimposesuchliabilityIndeedwhenonelooksatthenum-

berofjudgesfromthetrialtotheultimateappellatecourtsincommon

lawjurisdictionswhoexaminethesamefactsbutdisagreeonthelegal

consequencesforthepersononwhomvicariousliabilityissoughttobe

imposedoneisdrawntoconcludethatjudgestreatvicariousliability

 PartnerWeirFouldsLLPAnearlierversionofthispaperwaspresentedinJune

attheUniversityofWesternOntarioFacultyofLawandwaspublishedasc

inJasonNeyersErikaChamberlainStephenPiteledsEmerging Issues in Tort

LawOxfordHart

 JohnWilliamSalmond The Law of TortsstedLondonStevensHaynesat

Seealso Lloyd v. Grace, Smith & Co.ACHLRFVHeustonRA

Buckleyeds Salmond and Heuston on the Law of TortsstedLondonSweet

MaxwellatSalmond and HeustonAsexplainedin Salmond and Heuston

thedoctrinehasitsrootsinmedievallawandwasrenedintheVictorianera

DRW

likeJusticeStewartsdescriptionofpornographyButIknowitwhenI

seeitAsonejudgeputitinarecentdecision

AlegalnotionthatbeganinRomanlawinconceptsofresponsibility

fort he actions of slaves and an imals which is st ill replete with th e

languageofservitudeandtalkofservantsandmastersandwhich

hasonlylatelyacceptedthelanguageofemploymentisobviouslyin

needofmorethanverbalrepairandreexpression

It is not hard to understand why this confusion exist s The ordi-

naryviewoftortlawholdsthatonlypeoplewhodirectlycauseharm

toothersbytheirdeliberatelywrongfulornegligentactsshouldbeheld

responsibletopaymonetarycompensationtothepeopletheyharmed

VicariousliabilitychallengesthisviewonbothfrontsThepersonwho

isheldvicariouslyliableisrequiredtopaycompensationtosomeone

despitehavingnodirectrelationshipwiththatpersonanddespitehav-

ingnotactedinadeliberatelywrongfulornegligentfashioninrespectof

thatpersonForthesereasonsitseemsharshtoimposeliabilityonthis

personandthereforesuchliabilityisregardedanexceptiontoordinary

principlesoftortliability

Sincevicariousliabilityiscommonlyunderstoodasanexceptionto

theordinarybasisoftortliabilitycourtsandacademicwritershavetried

tonddierentprinciplesthantheordinarytortprinciplestojustifythe

impositionofsuchliabilityandtoprovideguidanceonwhenitsimposi-

tionisappropriateYettheaempttonddierentprinciplestoexplain

vicarious and ordinar y tort liability has not worked Ithas produced

confusioninthelawnotclarityThereasonforthisisthatordinarytort

principlesandprinciplesofvicariousliabilityareinfactbasedonthe

sameprinciplesofdutyofcareandcausationTheseprinciplesprovide

thatwhereapersonwrongfullyintroducesanothertoariskbeyondthe

normalbackgroundrisksthatallpeopleassumeasmembersofsociety

andwherethatriskactuallymaterializesintoharmtotheotherperson

therstpersonisliabletopaydamagestothesecondfortheforeseeable

consequencesofthatharm

TheintroductionofsuchriskisacceptedbytheSupremeCourtof

Canadaastheultimatesourceofdirectliabilityandastheonlybasis

 Jacobellis v. OhioUSat

 Sweeney v. Boylan Nominees Pt y. LimitedHCAatparaKirbyJdissent-

inginternalfootnotesomiedSweeney

 Childs v. DesormeauxSCCatparaChildsHankevResurceCorp

SCCResurce