Opinion ID: 1454711
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: liability of the state of alaska.

Text: The jury found that the state was negligent, but further that the state's negligence was not the legal cause of Will's injury. We cannot know the basis for the jury's conclusion that the state was negligent. Presumably the jury determined that the state was negligent because of its failure to aid Will after family members notified the troopers of Will's difficulties one day prior to the shooting. Even if an individual is negligent, that person is not liable at common law for another's injuries unless the negligence is a legal (i.e., proximate) cause of those injuries. Alvey v. Pioneer Oilfield Serv., Inc., 648 P.2d 599, 600 (Alaska 1982). Since the jury found that the state's negligence did not legally cause Will's injuries, the state is not directly liable to Will for its own negligence. [3] The trial court, however, concluded that the state is vicariously liable to Will because of Trooper Shanahan's participation in the events prior to the shooting. Under the theory of respondeat superior, an employer is liable for the negligence of an employee as long as that employee is acting within the scope of his or her employment. Williams, 650 P.2d at 349. As discussed in the preceding section, the trial court incorrectly held that Trooper Shanahan was negligent because of his participation in the conflict with Will. Since Trooper Shanahan is not negligent, no basis exists for finding the state liable for Will's injuries. [4]