Definition of "Priestly v. fowler"

Darrick  Holland real estate agent

Written by

Darrick Hollandelite badge icon

Carrington Real Estate

1837 British case that established that an employer was not responsible for injury to an employee if the injury was caused by another employee. Prior to this, English common law provided that an employer took responsibility for his employees; Priestly v. Fowler was the first crack in that relationship. Later, other exceptions to employer responsibility were established until finally the employee shouldered all responsibility for his own welfare because, it was argued, he or she had, after all, agreed to accept the job. Late in the 19th century in Great Britain, and early in the 20th century in the U.S., workers compensation laws were passed in which the employer accepts responsibility for on-the-job injuries and pays benefits according to an established schedule. In exchange, the employee accepts this as the exclusive remedy. However, in the past decade there have been many challenges to this system, including cases in which injured employees have been allowed to sue their employers.

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

One that provides group health or pension benefits for a multiemployer plan. To lower the cost, small firms band together to take advantage of the economies of large group underwriting. ...

Coverage on an all risks basis for glass breakage, subject to exclusions of war and fire. Thus, if a vandal throws a brick through a window of an insured's establishment, the coverage would ...

Sum of insurance provided by a policy at death or maturity. ...

Behavior or character standing of an individual in a community. Some personal habits are considered in underwriting an insurance application. ...

Act first passed by the United States Congress in 1981 and later amended in 1986 that provides for the establishment of risk retention groups whose purpose is to sell product liability ...

Uncertain prospect of financial gain or loss. A business investment that could either return a profit or sustain a loss, such as the purchase of a common stock, is an example of a ...

Transfer of high severity risks through the insurance contract to protect against catastrophic occurrences. While insurance is generally not the most cost-effective means of recovery of ...

Subsidiary, smaller company that is owned and controlled by a much larger company. In many instances pup companies are used to write special risk insurance for which the larger company does ...

Management philosophy developed by W. Edwards Deming, the thesis of which is the continuous improvement in quality through research in customer satisfaction and the empowerment of ...

Popular Insurance Questions