What is an employer’s liability in a personal injury case?
In Washington, employers are liable for their employees’ personal injury cases in certain circumstances. Generally, an employer will be liable if the harm or injury was caused by negligence on the part of the employee while they were carrying out their responsibilities. For example, if an employee is operating a company vehicle and causes an accident resulting in injury to a third party, the employer may be held liable for any damages related to the incident. In Washington, an employer is usually not liable for an employee’s intentional, malicious, or criminal acts. For instance, if an employee intentionally assaults someone, the employer would generally not be responsible for the resulting damages. Similarly, if an employer is unaware of an employee’s dangerous behavior and the behavior leads to an injury, the employer would likely not be liable. Liability may also depend on whether or not the employee was acting within the scope of their employment when the injury occurred. If the employee was, then the employer may be liable for the damages. However, if the employee was acting in their own interests or engaging in activities outside the scope of their job, then the employer may not be found liable. Finally, Washington state also has workers’ compensation laws which may be applicable in some personal injury cases. These laws provide a certain level of protection for employers, limiting the amount of liability they face in the event of an employee’s injury.
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