Owner Liability for Damages Caused by Temporarily Authorized Driver

A dispute arose concerning the liability for damages following an accident where a vehicle, driven by a person temporarily authorized by the owner, collided with another vehicle. The owner of the first vehicle contested the lower court's decision holding them jointly and severally liable with the driver, arguing that the transfer of custody was temporary and without the owner's express authorization for the specific journey, thereby absolving them of responsibility under the principle of non-transferable custody. The appellate court affirmed the joint liability, finding that the owner could not escape responsibility merely by delegating the driving, especially when the use by the temporary driver was related to the owner's potential interest or involved a general, albeit informal, permission. The high court rejected the appeal, upholding the lower court's finding that the owner remained liable for the damages caused by the vehicle under their control, irrespective of the specific terms of the delegation of driving, confirming the owner's continued legal responsibility for the vehicle's actions.