Opinion ID: 1227871
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: the dual capacity doctrine

Text: Prior to 1982, when the employer engaged in a relationship with the employee which was distinct from that of employer and employee and invoked a different set of obligations than the employer's duties to its employee, the employee could recover damages for breach of the latter obligations under the dual capacity doctrine. ( Bell v. Industrial Vangas, Inc. (1981) 30 Cal.3d 268, 272 et seq. [179 Cal. Rptr. 30, 637 P.2d 266]; D'Angona v. County of Los Angeles (1980) 27 Cal.3d 661, 664 et seq. [166 Cal. Rptr. 177, 613 P.2d 238]; Unruh v. Truck Insurance Exchange, supra, 7 Cal.3d 616, 629-631; Duprey v. Shane (1952) 39 Cal.2d 781, 789-795 [249 P.2d 8].) In Duprey, the defendant doctor undertook to treat his employee's industrial injury, and it was held that he was liable for malpractice in the treatment under the dual capacity doctrine. In D'Angona it was held that under the dual capacity doctrine an employee of a hospital could maintain an action for negligence against the hospital for negligent treatment of an industrial injury. In both cases, it was reasoned that the treatment was not part of the usual employer-employee relationship but that in undertaking to treat the employees the defendants were in the same relationship as they would be in treating members of the public. In Bell, the defendant manufacturer was held liable for its defectively manufactured product used by the employee, the court pointing out that other users could recover for such injuries. In Unruh, the employer's insurer was held liable for deceitful conduct in investigating the workers' compensation action. In all of these cases, the conduct which gave rise to the dual capacity doctrine was an act not ordinarily part of the employment. In the instant case, as we have seen, all of the acts alleged are acts which normally occur within the course and scope of employment. [10] We conclude that the dual capacity doctrine does not furnish a basis in this case to avoid the exclusive remedy provisions of the Labor Code.