respondeat superior

noun

re·​spon·​de·​at superior

ri-ˈspän-dē-ət-

: a doctrine in tort law that makes a master liable for the wrong of a servant

specifically : the doctrine making an employer or principal liable for the wrong of an employee or agent if it was committed within the scope of employment or agency

to recover…upon a theory of respondeat superior, it is incumbent upon plaintiff to prove that the collision occurred while the driver was within the scope of his employment

—Perdue v. Mitchell, 373 So. 2d 650 (1979)

compare scope of employment, vicarious liability at liability sense 2b

Word History

Etymology

Medieval Latin, let the superior give answer