Opinion ID: 1282598
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 10

Heading: hawkins' duty

Text: `A general contractor, in control of the premises where work performance under a contract with the owner is being carried out, owes a duty to persons rightfully on the premises to keep the premises in a reasonably safe condition while the contract is in the course of performance.' McKinstry v. County of Cass, 228 Neb. at 744, 424 N.W.2d at 329 (quoting Sullivan v. Geo. A. Hormel and Co., 208 Neb. 262, 303 N.W.2d 476 (1981)). In Farris v. General Growth Development Corp., 354 N.W.2d 251 (Iowa App.1984), a case strikingly similar to the Parrish case, a subcontractor's employee brought a negligence action against the general contractor (GGDC) for injuries which the employee sustained when he fell from a third floor deck at a construction site. In affirming a verdict for the employee, the court held that the general contractor, having possession of and control over the premises, had the duty to provide a safe place to work for the plaintiff as an employee of the subcontractor, and that such duty could not be contractually delegated to the subcontractor. In Farris, the court noted, [t]he duty imposed upon GGDC, as general contractor, to exercise reasonable care to prevent injuries on the job site may be premised upon its possession and control of the premises, 354 N.W.2d at 254, and stated: Normally when a general contractor has a supervisor on the site, it will be able to exercise control over the premises.... GGDC's supervisor, Dick Cable, was in charge of coordinating all subcontractors and inspecting the work as it was completed on this job. Cable had a trailer on the job site and was present on the construction site daily. 354 N.W.2d at 254. Moreover, when a general contractor assumes a contractual duty for the safety of workers at a construction site, the contractor's duty cannot be delegated to a subcontractor. See Farris, supra . See, also, Hickman v. Parks Construction Co., 162 Neb. 461, 76 N.W.2d 403 (1956). See, further, Giarratano v. The Weitz Co., Inc., 259 Iowa 1292, 1305, 147 N.W.2d 824, 832 (1967): `Where one person owes another a contractual duty to act, the law imposes upon the person owing that duty the further duty of acting with due care in the performance of his contract so as not to injure the contractee's person or property. This duty is nondelegable.' (Quoting Pacific Fire Ins. Co. v. Kenny Boiler & Mfg. Co., 201 Minn. 500, 277 N.W. 226 (1937).) A conclusion analogous to that in Farris was expressed in C.B. & Q. R.R. Co. v. Clark, 26 Neb. 645, 42 N.W. 703 (1889), wherein the railroad had hired a contractor to lay a 29-mile section of track. The railroad agreed to furnish all engines, cars, and the men needed to operate the equipment. This court determined that, because the railroad had control over the men and equipment used by the contractor, the railroad was liable for injuries caused by its employees while working for the contractor. Similarly, § 414 of Restatement (Second) of Torts (1965), provides: One who entrusts work to an independent contractor, but who retains the control of any part of the work, is subject to liability for physical harm to others for whose safety the employer owes a duty to exercise reasonable care, which is caused by his failure to exercise his control with reasonable care. The rule imposing liability on an employer who retains control over work of an independent contractor is usually, though not exclusively, applicable when a principal contractor entrusts a part of the work to subcontractors, but himself or through a foreman superintends the entire job. In such a situation, the principal contractor is subject to liability if he fails to prevent the subcontractors from doing even the details of the work in a way unreasonably dangerous to others, if he knows or by the exercise of reasonable care should know that the subcontractors' work is being so done, and has the opportunity to prevent it by exercising the power of control which he has retained in himself. Restatement (Second) of Torts § 414 Comment b. See, also, Smith v. United States, 497 F.2d 500 (5th Cir.1974); Summers v. Crown Construction Company, 453 F.2d 998 (4th Cir.1972); Weber v. Northern Ill. Gas Co., 10 Ill.App.3d 625, 295 N.E.2d 41 (1973). Thus, to impose liability on a general contractor for injury to a subcontractor's employee, the general contractor must have (1) supervised the work that caused the injury to the employee; (2) had actual or constructive knowledge of the danger which ultimately caused the injury; and (3) had the opportunity to prevent the injury, but negligently failed to prevent the injury. Under its contract with OPPD, Hawkins was required to keep itself informed about existing conditions at the construction site and [a]t all times during the performance of the Work, [Hawkins] shall exercise precaution for the protection of persons and property. Also, Hawkins agreed to correct any unsafe condition and was fully responsible for the protection of all persons including members of the public, employees of the District, other contractors or subcontractors.... Unquestionably, Eldon Parrish was within the class of persons entitled to protection under Hawkins' contractual duty. Schultz and Tackett testified about violations of the Occupational Safety and Health Act, such as the absence of a safety net and adequate floor beneath the location of Parrish's work on the steel framework for OPPD's building. A violation of a safety regulation is evidence of negligence. See, Maresh v. State, 241 Neb. 496, 489 N.W.2d 298 (1992); Tank v. Peterson, 219 Neb. 438, 363 N.W.2d 530 (1985). Even under its subcontract with Northwest, Hawkins had contractual authority to prescribe and order safety measures for Northwest's work and take steps to correct any noncompliance by Northwest in its subcontract with Hawkins. Schultz and Tackett also testified about the readily observable and dangerous condition existing at the construction site as the result of the absent safety net or floor beneath Northwest's steel workers. Both Schultz and Tackett concluded that Hawkins had breached its duty to see that Northwest's work was being done in a safe manner. Further, the evidence indicates that Hawkins was in control of the premises while work was being performed pursuant to its contract with OPPD. Because Hawkins had control over the construction site, the question whether Hawkins knew or should have known of the danger which caused Eldon Parrish's death and whether Hawkins had the opportunity to correct that danger were disputed issues of material fact. Apart from a duty to provide a safe place to work, Hawkins may be liable for failing to ensure that Northwest utilized adequate safety precautions. Holding that a general contractor may be liable for injury sustained when a subcontractor's employee fell through a roof at a construction site, the Supreme Court of Michigan explained in Funk v. General Motors Corp., 392 Mich. 91, 104, 220 N.W.2d 641, 646 (1974): The policy behind the law of torts is more than compensation of victims. It seeks also to encourage implementation of reasonable safeguards against risks of injury. Placing ultimate responsibility on the general contractor for job safety in common work areas will, from a practical, economic standpoint, render it more likely that the various subcontractors being supervised by the general contractor will implement or that the general contractor will himself implement the necessary precautions and provide the necessary safety equipment in those areas. The court further stated that it was part of the business of a general contractor to assure that reasonable steps within its supervisory and coordinating authority are taken to guard against readily observable, avoidable dangers in common work areas which create a high degree of risk to a significant number of workmen. 392 Mich. at 104, 220 N.W.2d at 646. See, also, Simon v. Omaha P.P. Dist., 189 Neb. 183, 202 N.W.2d 157 (1972). As expressed in Restatement (Second) of Torts § 416 (1965), if a general contractor hires an independent contractor to perform work which the general contractor should recognize as likely to create during its progress a peculiar risk of physical harm to others unless special precautions are taken, the general contractor may be liable for physical harm caused to employees of the subcontractor if the general contractor fails to exercise reasonable care to take such precautions, even though the general contractor has provided, in the contract or otherwise, that the subcontractor be responsible for such precautions. Comment d of § 416 distinguishes a peculiar risk from the common risks to which persons in general are commonly subjected by the ordinary forms of negligence which are usual in the community. It must involve some special hazard resulting from the nature of the work done, which calls for special precautions. Therefore, notwithstanding a contractual provision to the contrary, a general contractor may be liable for the negligence of a subcontractor when injury results from the general contractor's failure to ensure that precautions are taken against special hazards inherent in the work of the subcontractor. See, Simon v. Omaha P.P. Dist., supra ; Frickel v. Lancaster County, 115 Neb. 506, 213 N.W. 826 (1927); Restatement (Second) of Torts § 416 (1965). Cf. Palmer v. The City of Lincoln, 5 Neb. 136 (1876) (when an injury results directly from the acts which a contractor agrees and is authorized to do, the party who employs the contractor and authorizes the work may also be liable to the injured person). Without question, steel construction work involves risks which an average person does not ordinarily encounter on a day-to-day basis. Consequently, because Eldon Parrish's work involved a peculiar risk, Hawkins was required to exercise reasonable care to ensure that Northwest utilized proper safety precautions, regardless of any language to the contrary in the contract between Hawkins and Northwest. Without restating all the evidence which we have noted relative to the summary judgment hearing, we conclude that there was evidence sufficient to present an issue of material fact concerning Hawkins' duty to protect Eldon Parrish from harm and whether Hawkins breached that duty by failing to exercise due care to protect Eldon Parrish from the hazard that resulted in his death.