Pennsylvania law sections 8548 and 8549 outline the indemnity protections for employees of local agencies and set limitations on damages. They specify when local agencies must indemnify employees for judgments and clarify employee liability and cooperation requirements in legal actions. Additionally, they impose restrictions on damages that can be awarded against employees.
A local agency must indemnify an employee if the employee was acting within the scope of their duties, provided they gave timely written notice and a court finds their act caused the injury or they reasonably believed it was within their duties.
Generally, no. Employees are protected from liability for damages caused within the scope of their duties or if they reasonably believed they were acting within their duties, and they are not liable for legal expenses incurred defending against such claims.
If an employee fails to fully cooperate in defending a claim, the protections under subsection (b) do not apply, potentially exposing the employee to liability or reimbursement obligations.
Section 8549 limits the damages that can be awarded against employees, but the specific limits are detailed in the full statute and depend on the circumstances of each case.