Perhaps you work for a corporation, that is considering using valet parking. Or perhaps you or your property has been injured by a valet’s driving. In each case, you may wonder: Can the valet (or his employer) be sued?
Under certain circumstances, a parking valet and his employer can be sued.
If a vehicle owner entrusts a vehicle to a valet, and the valet's negligence causes harm to the vehicle, then the owner of the vehicle may sue the valet. Also, if a valet is driving a vehicle, and his driving injures another person or property, the valet would be liable to the person who suffered harm.
If a corporation uses valet parking, the corporation could be liable, if a vehicle is lost or injured during the vehicle's deposit, if a valet wrongfully uses a vehicle and any damage results, or if a valet, in driving a vehicle, does not use the degree of care that is reasonable and prudent under the circumstances.
I have written an article, for the Oklahoma Bar Journal, on the possibility of suing parking valets and their employers. For more information, click on the article here.