Holding Sheldon Silver liable.(Viewpoint)(car leasing to become impossible in summer 2003; law makes leasing companies responsible for accidents caused by drivers)

Crain's New York Business, April, 2003

This summer, New Yorkers will find it extremely difficult, or perhaps impossible, to lease a car. Unless the Assembly agrees to change the unusual and unfair way the doctrine known as vicarious liability is applied in New York, the big car leasing companies will all pull out of the state. Normally, such a reform of the tort system would be wishful thinking.

But for the first time in memory, such legislation is possible. Vicarious liability, as it applies to car leasing, is probably the most absurd extension of the tort system. It makes the financial company that holds car leases liable for accidents caused by drivers, even though the company was not responsible for the accidents in any way. Only three states-New York, Connecticut and Rhode Island-have unlimited...

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