Named for a 1995 Missouri decision, the McHaffie rule reasons that an employer who has accepted full responsibility for the driver's negligence cannot be further liable for compensatory damages on theories addressing how the driver came to be behind the wheel.
Most McHaffie jurisdictions recognize an exception where punitive damages are properly pleaded against the employer for its own conduct.
Alternative Names:
McHaffie Doctrine, Preemption Rule
Why it Matters?
Whether a jurisdiction follows McHaffie determines the shape of the entire case. In McHaffie states the defense can compress a trucking case into a straightforward accident dispute. In rejecting states, the carrier's safety record stays in play regardless of what it admits, and venue analysis in multi-state carriers frequently turns on this single question.
Frequently Confused with
Related terms
Frequently asked questions
Which states follow the McHaffie rule?
What is the punitive damages exception?
