diff --git a/lib/jsonapi_spec_helpers/helpers.rb b/lib/jsonapi_spec_helpers/helpers.rb
index c01e5ec..e37d6c3 100644
--- a/lib/jsonapi_spec_helpers/helpers.rb
+++ b/lib/jsonapi_spec_helpers/helpers.rb
@@ -56,6 +56,7 @@ def json_ids(integers = false)
 
     def validation_errors
       @validation_errors ||= {}.tap do |errors|
+        return errors if json['errors'].nil?
         json['errors'].each do |e|
           attr = e['meta']['attribute'].to_sym
           message = e['meta']['message']
diff --git a/spec/helpers_spec.rb b/spec/helpers_spec.rb
index 44e8440..ece18e1 100644
--- a/spec/helpers_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/helpers_spec.rb
@@ -70,6 +70,27 @@
     }
   end
 
+  let(:errors_json) do
+    {
+      'errors' => [
+        {
+          'code' => 'unprocessable_entity',
+          'status' => '422',
+          'title' => 'Validation Error',
+          'detail' => 'Patron must exist',
+          'source' => {
+            'pointer' => '/data/relationships/patron'
+          },
+          'meta' => {
+            'attribute' => 'patron',
+            'message' => 'must exist',
+            'code' => 'blank'
+          }
+        }
+      ]
+    }
+  end
+
   describe '#json_item' do
     let(:json) { show_json }
 
@@ -166,4 +187,21 @@
       })
     end
   end
+
+  describe '#validation_errors' do
+    let(:json) { errors_json }
+
+    it 'creates a hash of the errors' do
+      expect(validation_errors).to eq({:patron => 'must exist'})
+    end
+
+    describe 'when there are no errors' do
+      let(:json) { show_json }
+      it 'does not raise an error of its own' do
+        expect{ validation_errors }.not_to raise_error
+        expect(validation_errors[:any_key_here]).to be_nil
+      end
+    end
+  end
+
 end