Cohen v. Whiteman

The head of a family who keeps and maintains an automobile for the use, comfort, pleasure and convenience of the family is liable for an injury resulting from the negligence of a minor son, a member of the family, while operating the automobile with the knowledge and consent of the owner, for the comfort or pleasure of the family, and thus in pursuance of the purpose for which it was kept and maintained by the parent. This is a fair statement of the rule called variously “family-purpose doctrine,” “family-service rule,” “family-automobile doctrine,” and “family-car rule,” as recognized and…