Given only the facts stated, determine whether the situations described below reflect circumstances involving vicarious liability (A or B). If not vicarious, indicate whether there is any potential for liability at all (C or D). In other words, every item marked "B" will also have a second answer.
-An officer's supervisor tells her to make sure that she conducts checks at least every 10 minutes of the inmates in safety cells. She gets tied up with something else and misses one of the scheduled checks, during which time an inmate hangs himself.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The supervisor's instructions do not create a situation of vicarious liability because the officer is not acting as an agent of the supervisor in conducting the checks. However, the officer may still be liable for negligence if she failed to follow the supervisor's instructions and an inmate was harmed as a result.

Given Only the Facts Stated, Determine Whether the Situations Described