Similarly, a principal who is negligent in his use of agents will be held liable for their negligence. What is the tort liability principle of negligence?Principals are liable for the negligent conduct of agents acting within the scope of their employment. If the agent breaches his or her duties, the principal can sue the agent for either breach of contract or in tort. Under tort or personal injury law, if an individual personally commits a tort, that person is liable to the injured party. A person is always liable for her own torts, so an agent who commits a tort is liable; if the tort was in the scope of employment the principal is liable too. A principal can be liable for its own actions when it is negligent in hiring, selecting, training, retaining, supervising, or otherwise controlling the agent. A principal is responsible for the tortious acts of an agent done within the Scope of Employment. This is pursuant to a doctrine known as respondeat superior. The general rule is that a principal is liable for torts only if the servant committed them "in the scope of employment.