Negligent Entrustment of Motor Vehicle in Bethlehem Car Accident and Lehigh Valley Car Accident

June 5, 2019 Posted in Articles Tagged in Personal Injury Share

Whether it is a Bethlehem Car Accident, Truck Accident, Motorcycle Accident and/or injury one of the first things that needs to be determined is who owns the vehicles involved. Often times in Lehigh Valley Car Accidents the driver’s involved may not be the owner of the motor vehicle. In Bethlehem Car Accidents cases a claim may be made that the party that owned the vehicle the driver was operating negligently entrusted that Motor Vehicle resulting in personal injury to another. This is something you may want to consult with a Bethlehem Car Accident Lawyer about.

Negligent Entrustment is defined partially by Section 1574 of the Pennsylvania Motor Vehicle Code, 75 Pa.C.S. §1574(a), which provides that “[n]o person shall authorize or permit a motor vehicle owned by him or under his control to be driven upon any highway or by any person who is not authorized under this chapter or who is not licensed for the type or class of vehicle to be driven.” The Pa Jury instructions stresses that in order for there to be negligent entrustment the person who entrusts the vehicle knows or should know that the individual they are entrusting the vehicle to could create an unreasonable risk of harm to other while driving the vehicle. However, the person who is entrusted the vehicle must be “causally negligent before the entrustor may be held liable through negligent entrustment.” Christiansen v. Silfies, 667 A.2d 396, 400 (Pa.Super.1995).

If you were involved in a Lehigh Valley Car Accident, Truck Accident, and/or Motorcycle Accident and you have questions about whether you are liable for a Bethlehem injury or have questions regarding an Allentown injury please contact a Bethlehem Personal Injury Lawyers at The Law Offices of Edward J. McKarski for a free consultation.