Vicarious liability and the gig economy may not be a match made in heaven, certainly not from the perspective of Deliveroo riders and other workers
In this week’s NLJ, Ross Fletcher, senior lecturer, Northumbria Law School, examines an unusual case that has served up a menu of unsavoury snacks for those involved.
The story of R v Rocha starts with a pizza delivery and proceeds to Winchester Crown Court, via a substitute Deliveroo-er, a seemingly uncooperative customer and a bitten thumb. Fletcher attempts to untangle the threads of liability, with reference to existing case law on vicarious liability.
Fletcher writes: ‘The law reports contain many examples of attempts by commercial enterprises to evade liability for the acts of their workers. However, the law in this area has been quick to adapt accordingly, and it is likely that the same will be true of this case in any civil proceedings that may arise.’
