Definition of "Dual capacity doctrine"

Rule of law under which a defendant who has two or more relationships with a plaintiff may be liable under any of these relationships. For example, an employer may be liable in two ways to an employee who incurs bodily injury on the job as the result of using a product or service produced by that employer: first, as the employer of the injured employee, and second, as the producer of the product or service that caused injury to the employee. The injured employee may then either collect benefits for job-related injuries under workers compensation or sue the employer as the producer of the defective product or service. For example, if an employee injures an arm at work while operating a machine with a defective blade that the employer manufactures, the employee can receive benefits under workers compensation or sue the employer as the manufacturer of the defective blade.

image of a real estate dictionary page

Have a question or comment?

We're here to help.

*** Your email address will remain confidential.
 

 

Popular Insurance Terms

Legislation passed in California that establishes procedures applicable to any worker who incurs a job-related injury. This act has far-reaching implications for workers compensation ...

Insurance policy sold by nonadmitted insurer. ...

Method of calculating the life insurance policy's cash surrender value (CSV) not contingent upon the calculation of the policy's reserve such that the CSV will approximate the asset share ...

Formal process of setting aside funds on a mathematical basis to provide deferred income benefits. ...

Exchange of a new policy for one already in force. ...

Condition in which life insurance sales increase at a rate greater than the general rate of growth of the economy. As a society moves from an agriculture-based economy to an industry-based ...

Table charting relative costs of a group of cash value life insurance policies derived by using the net cost method of comparing costs (traditional net cost method of comparing costs; net ...

Loss occurring by accident or chance, not by anyone's intention. Insurance policies provide coverage against losses that occur only on a chance basis, where the insured cannot control the ...

Claim by the pension benefit guaranty corporation (PBGC) against an employer for reimbursement of the PBGC's loss (for a terminated plan) up to 30% of the net worth of the employer. If this ...

Popular Insurance Questions