Law Commons^™

Agency -- 1954 Tennessee Survey, Merton L. Ferson

Vanderbilt Law Review

Scope of Employment: In the case of McKinnon v. Michaud,- it appeared that Mrs. McKinnon was in the business of distributing petroleum products wholesale. Her servant, Nickson, made delivery of gasoline to a service station, put the nozzle from his truck into the retailer's tank and then carelessly allowed the tank to overflow. Nickson then enhanced the danger by throwing water on the gasoline with the result that it splashed onto an open stove and caused an extensive fire that damaged the plaintiff. Mrs. McKinnon was held liable. The court did not decide whether Nickson's act of throwing water on …