Opinion ID: 1930916
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Wendy's Liability for the Acts of its Employees

Text: In its order, the trial court found that Erskine was acting outside the line and scope of her employment when she called the police. Crutcher asserts that a genuine issue of material fact exists as to whether Erskine was acting within the scope of her employment for Wendy's at the time the events at issue in this case transpired. The record shows that Erskine's counting of the money in the cash register was part of her job duties. Further, upon her count down of the money and her resulting belief that $50 was missing, Erskine attempted to locate the missing money, also as her duties required. Although Erskine stated in her deposition that, in an effort to avoid upsetting Newman, she and Watkins would repay the cash registers out of their own pockets in the event a register came up short, it was Erskine's responsibility as the assistant shift manager, and the highest ranking manager present at the store at the time of the incident, to investigate the shortage. `A corporation or employer will be liable for the torts of its employee committed while acting in the line and scope of his employment even though the corporation or employer did not authorize or ratify such acts and even if it expressly forbade them. Old Southern Life Ins. Co. v. McConnell, 52 Ala.App. 589, [594,] 296 So.2d 183[, 186] (Ala.Civ.App.1974). If there is any evidence in the record tending to show directly, or by reasonable inference, that the tortious conduct of the employee was committed while performing duties assigned to him, then it becomes a question for the jury to determine whether he was acting from personal motive having no relationship to the business of the employer. Plaisance v. Yelder, 408 So.2d 136 (Ala.Civ.App.1981); United States Steel Co. v. Butler, 260 Ala. 190, 69 So.2d 685 (1953).'  Lawler Mobile Homes, Inc. v. Tarver, 492 So.2d 297, 305 (Ala.1986). USA Petroleum Corp. v. Hines, 770 So.2d 589, 591 (Ala.1999). In light of Erskine's duties as assistant shift manager, we conclude that a genuine issue of material fact exists as to whether she was acting within the scope of her employment in telephoning the police. Because we conclude that Wendy's could be liable as a result of Erskine's actions, we must next consider whether the trial court properly entered a summary judgment for Wendy's as to Crutcher's claims of false imprisonment, slander, and invasion of privacy.