Is a taxi driver liable for leaving an intoxicated passenger in his vehicle with the keys to the ignition?

British Columbia, Canada


The following excerpt is from Provost v Bolton, 2017 BCSC 1608 (CanLII):

In Johnston v. Day, 2013 ABQB 512, a taxi driver left an intoxicated passenger in her vehicle with the keys in the ignition while she purchased some fruit at the market. The customer drove the taxi into a group of people. In that case, the judge ultimately found the taxi driver liable, although little was said concerning the existence of a duty of care.

In Matharu v. Manheim, 2014 ONSC 3459, the defendant driver stole a vehicle from a car lot owned by the defendants’ auction company. Ten days later, the plaintiffs were injured in a motor vehicle accident with the thief.

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