Property Damage Liability: Driver vs. Owner Responsibility

A driver, while operating a vehicle owned by another party, caused an accident resulting in damages to a third party's property, leading the injured party to sue both the driver and the owner for civil liability based on vicarious responsibility. The lower court held both the driver and the owner jointly and severally liable, applying the principle that the owner of a thing is responsible for the damage it causes. The highest court partially quashed the decision, affirming the driver's liability based on fault, but finding insufficient basis to hold the owner liable solely on the basis of ownership, absent proof of a specific fault on the owner's part, thereby necessitating a re-examination of the owner's liability under the relevant liability statutes.