Newsletters

Tort Liability of Members of the Armed Forces

Members of the armed forces are generally immune from liability for damages to another person or to the other person's property as long as the members were acting within the scope of their employment or their official duties and as long as the members were following a lawful command. The immunity applies to the members who were issuing the lawful command and to the members who were obeying the lawful command.

Federal Jurisdiction in Recreational Boating Accidents

When a recreational boating accident occurs, the first determination that must be made is whether a federal court or a state court has jurisdiction over a lawsuit that is filed with regard to the accident.

Family Car Doctrine

Under the family car doctrine (or family purpose doctrine), the owner of a car is liable for a plaintiff's personal injuries if the injuries were caused by one of the owner's family members while driving the car. The doctrine applies only to cases in which the car is owned for family purposes and the owner's family members had his or her express or implied permission to drive the car.

Federal Volunteer Protection Act -- Preemption of State Law

The federal Volunteer Protection Act (VPA) preempts state laws to the extent that such laws are inconsistent with the VPA. However, state laws that offer additional protections to volunteers are not preempted by the VPA.

Tort Action for Dangerous Employment of a Minor Child

A person who employs a minor child in a dangerous occupation may be liable to the child's parent for harm that is sustained by the child. An occupation is considered to be dangerous if it involves a risk of death or serious bodily harm because of the age and inexperience of the child. The occupation does not have to be dangerous for an adult in order for the employer to be liable to the parent.