Steps For both Discussions:
Please remember as we discussed in the zoom session, you are debating the DEBATE THIS prompt. You are going to write an introductory paragraph stating your position with 3 supporting paragraphs and then a conclusion. Feel free to incorporate the fact pattern I gave you as an example to help prove your point. But you do not necessarily have to answer the questions posed. I want to see reasoned analysis and critical thinking. There is no right or wrong answer. Feel free to use the internet for all supporting resources, cases, journal, articles, etc… Make sure that you cite your sources.
1. Respondeat Superior
Lynne Meyer, on her way to a business meeting and in a hurry, stopped by a Buy-Mart store for a new car charger for her smartphone. There was a long line at one of the checkout counters, but a cashier, Valerie Watts, opened another counter and began loading the cash drawer. Meyer told Watts that she was in a hurry and asked Watts to work faster. Watts, however, only slowed her pace. At this point, Meyer hit Watts. It is not clear whether Meyer hit Watts intentionally or, in an attempt to retrieve the car charger, hit her inadvertently. In response, Watts grabbed Meyer by the hair and hit her repeatedly in the back of the head, while Meyer screamed for help. Management personnel separated the two women and questioned them about the incident. Watts was immediately fired for violating the store’s no-fighting policy. Meyer subsequently sued Buy-Mart, alleging that the store was liable for the tort (assault and battery) committed by its employee. Using the information presented in the chapter, answer the following questions.
- Under what doctrine discussed in this chapter might Buy-Mart be held liable for the tort committed by Watts?
- What is the key factor in determining whether Buy-Mart is liable under this doctrine?
- Did Watts’s behavior constitute an intentional tort or a tort of negligence? How would this differ-ence affect Buy-Mart’s potential liability
- Suppose that when Watts applied for the job at Buy-Mart, she disclosed in her application that she had previously been convicted of felony assault and battery. Nevertheless, Buy-Mart hired Watts as a cashier. How might this fact affect Buy-Mart’s liability for Watts’s actions
Debate This:
The doctrine of respondeat superior should be modified to make agents solely liable for some of their own tortious (wrongful) acts
2. Franchises
Carlos Del Rey decided to open a fast-food Mexican restaurant and signed a franchise contract with a national chain called La Grande Enchilada. Under the franchise agreement, Del Rey purchased the building, and La Grande Enchilada supplied the equipment. The contract required the franchisee to strictly follow the franchisor’s operating manual and stated that failure to do so would be grounds for terminating the franchise contract. The manual set forth detailed operating procedures and safety standards, and provided that a La Grande Enchilada representative would inspect the restaurant monthly to ensure compliance.
Nine months after Del Rey began operating his restaurant, a spark from the grill ignited an oily towel in the kitchen. No one was injured, but by the time firefighters put out the fire, the kitchen had sustained extensive damage. The cook told the fire department that the towel was “about two feet from the grill” when it caught fire, which was in compliance with the franchisor’s manual that required towels to be at least one foot from the grills. Nevertheless, the next day La Grande Enchilada notified Del Rey that his franchise would terminate in thirty days for failure to follow the prescribed safety procedures. Using the information presented in the chapter, answer the following questions.
- What type of franchise was Del Rey’s La Grande Enchilada restaurant?
- If Del Rey operates the restaurant as a sole proprietorship, who bears the loss for the damaged kitchen? Explain.
- Assume that Del Rey files a lawsuit against La Grande Enchilada, claiming that his franchise was wrongfully terminated. What is the main factor a court would consider in determining whether the franchise was wrongfully terminated?
- Would a court be likely to rule that La Grande Enchilada had good cause to terminate Del Rey’s franchise in this situation? Why or why not?
Debate This:
All franchisors should be required by law to provide a comprehensive estimate of the profitability of a prospective franchise based on the experiences of their existing franchisees
