Owner Liability for Accident Caused by Driver

A driver, operating a vehicle owned by a company, caused an accident resulting in injuries to passengers in another vehicle; the owner of the first vehicle sought to limit their liability based on a statutory provision concerning the transmission of ownership of the vehicle prior to the accident, arguing that the driver was not acting in their interest at the time. The court rejected this argument, reasoning that under the law concerning liability for motor vehicle use, the owner of the vehicle remains liable for damages caused by that vehicle while it is being driven by another person, unless the owner can prove that the driver was acting under the authority of a third party who had taken possession of the vehicle, which was not established in this case, thus maintaining the owner's liability.