---
title: O.C.G.A. § 51-2-2. Liability for torts of spouse, child, or servant in certain instances.
collection: code
id: 51-2-2
cite_as: O.C.G.A. § 51-2-2 (2025)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/51-2-2
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/51-2-2.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/51-2-2/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/document/docs/default-source/joint-features-document-library/t51-(v39)-2017-pdf.pdf?sfvrsn=6b891965_0#page=238
date: 2025
status: active
corpus_version: 2025-supplement-89aa39ab3c68
license: CC0-1.0
publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice.
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version: the only printed version
in_force: true
current_through: Including Acts of the 2025 Regular Session of the General Assembly
heading_path: TORTS / IMPUTABLE NEGLIGENCE
---

# O.C.G.A. § 51-2-2. Liability for torts of spouse, child, or servant in certain instances.

Every person shall be liable for torts committed by his wife, his child, or his servant by his command or in the prosecution and within the scope of his business, whether the same are committed by negligence or voluntarily.

## History

Orig. Code 1863, § 2904; Code 1868, § 2910; Code 1873, § 2961; Code 1882, § 2961; Civil Code 1895, § 3817; Civil Code 1910, § 4413; Code 1933, § 105-108.

## Law Reviews

For article, ‘‘Motorboat Collisions and the Family Purpose Doctrine,’’ see 2 Ga. St. B. J. 473 (1966). For article analyzing the trend in this country toward no-fault liability, see 25 Emory L.J. 163 (1976). For article, ‘‘Sexual Harassment Claims Under Georgia Law,’’ see 6 Ga. St. B. J. 16 (2000).

For note, ‘‘Effect of Verdict for Employee in Joint Action Against Employer and Employee,’’ see 3 Mercer L. Rev. 298 (1952). For note discussing the doctrine of respondeat superior, see 2 Ga. St. B. J. 478 (1966). For note discussing the family purpose car doctrine as an extension of the principle of respondeat superior, see 3 Ga. St. B. J. 112 (1966). For note discussing governmental immunity from tort liability in Georgia, see 5 Ga. St. B. J. 494 (1969). For note, ‘‘Tort Liability in Georgia for the Criminal Acts of Another,’’ see 18 Ga. L. Rev. 361 (1984).

For comment on Durden v. Maddox, 73 Ga. App. 491, 37 S.E.2d 219 (1946), see 9 Ga. B. J. 98 (1946). For comment on Cohen v. Whiteman, 75 Ga. App. 286, 43 S.E.2d 184 (1947), see 10 Ga. B. J. 222 (1947). For comment on Woolf v. Colonial Stores, Inc., 76 Ga. App. 565, 46 S.E.2d 620 (1948), see 11 Ga. B. J. 70 (1948). For comment regarding joinder of master and servant as parties defendant, in light of Southern Ry. v. Garland, 76 Ga. App. 729, 47 S.E.2d 93 (1948), see 11 Ga. B. J. 226 (1948). For comment on Colonial Stores, Inc. v. Sasser, 79 Ga. App. 604, 54 S.E.2d 719 (1949), see 12 Ga. B. J. 215 (1949). For comment on Davidson v. Harris, Inc., 81 Ga. App. 665, 59 S.E.2d 551 (1950), see 13 Ga. B. J. 229 (1950). For comment on Radio Cabs, Ltd. v. Tolbert, 86 Ga. App. 181, 70 S.E.2d 260 (1952), see 15 Ga. B. J. 226 (1952). For comment on Henson v. Garnto, 88 Ga. App. 320, 76 S.E.2d 636 (1953), regarding recovery by wife under doctrine of respondeat superior for injuries caused by husband, see 5 Mercer L. Rev. 209 (1953). For comment discussing liability of husband to wife for tort caused by their minor child, in light of Silverman v. Silverman, 145 Conn. 663, 145 A.2d 826 (1958), see 10 Mercer L. Rev. 339 (1959). For comment on Myrick v. Alexander, 101 Ga. App. 1, 112 S.E.2d 697 (1960), see 22 Ga. B. J. 570 (1960). For comment on Marques v. Ross, 105 Ga. 133, 123 S.E.2d 412 (1961), and application of the family purpose doctrine, see 14 Mercer L. Rev. 297 (1962). For comment on Ferguson v. Gurley, 105 Ga. App. 575, 125 S.E.2d 218 (1962), see 25 Ga. B. J. 209 (1962). For comment on Emory Univ. v. Porter, 103 Ga. App. 752, 121 S.E.2d 668 (1961), as to hospital’s liability for the negligence of a physician, see 14 Mercer L. Rev. 467 (1963). For comment on Porter v. Patterson, 107 Ga. App. 64, 129 S.E.2d 70 (1962), see 26 Ga. B. J. 184 (1963). For comment on Ellenberg v. Pinkerton’s, Inc., 125 Ga. App. 648, 188 S.E.2d 911 (1972), holding employer defendant may not use independent contractor defense to invasion of privacy suit resulting from actions of investigator working in his behalf, see 9 Ga. St. B. J. 519 (1973).

## History of Code Section.

The language of this Code section is derived in part from the decisions in Curtis v. Ashworth, 165 Ga. 782, 142 S.E. 111 (1928); Dodgen v. DeBorde, 43 Ga. App. 131, 158 S.E. 64 (1931).