Thompson v. Auto Credit Rehabilitation Corp.

This appeal brings before us the question of the liability of a rental car agency, Auto Credit Rehabilitation Corporation (ACRC), for injuries sustained by Daniel J. Thompson in a collision with an automobile owned by ACRC and operated by the lessee, Robert Heikkila. A jury returned special verdicts, finding that ACRC was vicariously responsible for Heikkila’s intentional conduct and that although it had negligently entrusted its vehicle to him, that negligence was not the proximate cause of Thompson’s injuries. Notwithstanding the special verdict in Thompson’s favor on the claim of vicarious…