INCREASED WORKPLACE VIOLENCE FROM NEGLIGENT HIRING IN SMALL AND MEDIUM SIZE HEALTH CARE BUSINESSES

摘要

Negligent hiring is a prime contributor toward health care employer liability. Expanding the generalrnapplicability of the doctrine of respondeat superior, courts have found health care owner-managers liable forrnworkplace violence by their employees both within and outside their normal scope of employment. Thisrnpaper analyzes the negligent hiring doctrine from the perspective of small to medium size health carernorganizations and how U.S. courts are deciding negligent hiring cases in the health care industry.rnSuggestions for the development of background screening practices to reduce workplace violence andrnminimize resultant negligent hiring lawsuits are presented.