In lawsuits, respondeat superior may be enough to hold an employer liable for the torts of its employee committed within the scope of employment. An agent may be solely liable to a third party for tortious conduct in certain circumstances.The general rule is that a principal is liable for torts only if the servant committed them "in the scope of employment. Understand how a principal can be directly liable to an injured plaintiff based on the principal's own actions and the actions of its agent. The term "name of agent," in brackets, is intended in the general sense, to denote. Under the California Tort Claims Act, individuals must file tort claims against government entities within six months of their personal injury. Watch Expert CA Bar Exam Instructor and Tutor Shana Karpeles, Esq. Direct liability for negligence, not vicarious liability. Whenever an individual is held liable for the actions of another, this is known as vicarious liability.