Purton v. Marriott International Inc.

Opinion

McINTYRE, J.

In this case, an employee consumed alcoholic beverages at an employer-hosted party and became intoxicated. The employee arrived home safely but then left to drive a coworker home. During that drive, the employee struck another car, killing its driver. The trial court granted summary judgment for the employer on the ground the employer’s potential liability under the doctrine of respondeat superior ended when the employee arrived home.

We hold that an employer may be found liable for its employee’s torts as long as the proximate cause of the injury (here, alcohol consumption)…