Giving Keys To 11-year Old Provides Classic Example Of Negligent Entrustment

After returning from a much-needed vacation, a read an amusing (and at the same time, somewhat sad) article in the Orlando Sentinel that gives me a chance to illustrate how a claim for negligent entrustment of a motor vehicle works.

Apparently, a 37-year old man in Brandon was out to dinner with his girlfriend and her 11-year old daughter.  We don't know how the group got to dinner, but we know that the man had at least one glass of wine with dinner, and also that he had a suspended drivers license.

At some point, the man apparently decided it would be a good idea to entrust the operation of his motor vehicle to the 11-year old girl.  He gave her the keys, allowed her to climb behind the wheel, and then allowed her to drive the vehicle through Brandon.   We don't know how far this 11-year old young lady travelled, but we know that she ultimately crashed the vehicle into a church building.  Luckily nobody was injured.

A claim for negligent entrustment arises when the owner of a vehicle allows someone to operate his or her vehicle that they know or should know would pose a danger to others.  Obviously, this one is a no-brainer as far as negligent entrustment goes.  Not only was the 11-year old unlicensed, but she probably could barely see over the steering wheel.  She was also highly inexperienced.

If you have any questions about a car crash involving a vehicle that has been negligently entrusted to a negligent driver, call Orlando accident attorney Kim Cullen at 407-254-4901, or order a FREE copy of Kim's book, Asleep At The Wheel.