"Vicarious liability" or "imputed negligence" is a doctrine that shifts legal responsibility from one individual to another so that, under the appropriate circumstances, an optometrist may be held responsible for the negligent conduct of agents, employees, partners, and others with whom the optometrist has created the necessary legal relationship. The application of vicarious liability to clinical practice is discussed, with emphasis upon relationships with other professionals, delegation of duties to employees, and referrals to other health care providers.