Vicarious Liability of an Employer-Master: Must There Be a Right of Control?

Most courts impose vicarious liability on an alleged employer-master when it has a right to control the physical conduct or method of doing the work of the person who injures a third party. In other instances, courts impose vicarious liability in cases where there only an appearance of actual control exists. This article examines the difference between actual and apparent control, and the author maintains that a better test for vicarious liability is whether the injurer is acting on the employer-master's behalf.