Sayles v. Piccadilly Cafeterias, Inc.

The dispositive issue in this appeal is whether a negligent employee acted outside the scope of his employment, as a matter of law, thereby defeating a third-party claim of damages against his employer under the doctrine of respondeat superior.

Charles Sayles, a passenger in an automobile operated by Theodore Bolling, Jr., was seriously and permanently injured in a two-car collision. The negligent operator of the other automobile, Stephen Belcastro, was an employee of Piccadilly Cafeterias, Inc. (Piccadilly), located in the Richmond area. Sayles sued Piccadilly, claiming that Piccadilly was…