After a serious crash involving alcohol, most people assume there is only one party to hold responsible: the driver who got behind the wheel while impaired. That assumption is often correct. But it is not the whole picture. In some situations, the person who owned the vehicle and handed over the keys can also be held responsible. Virginia law recognizes this through a doctrine called negligent entrustment, and it can matter a great deal to an injured person who needs full compensation.
This post explains how negligent entrustment works, when a vehicle owner can be pulled into a lawsuit, and why this doctrine sometimes makes the difference between a partial recovery and a full one.
For more detailed information about your particular situation, call Shapiro, Washburn & Sharp to speak with a Virginia Beach car accident lawyer.
What Negligent Entrustment Actually Means
Negligent entrustment is a legal theory that allows an injured person to recover damages from a vehicle owner who gave access to a vehicle to someone the owner knew or should have known was a danger on the road…