Opinion ID: 1233759
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: Liability to Third Parties of One Who Employs an Independent Contractor for Acts or Omissions of Independent Contractor.

Text: This case deals with Ash Grove's liability, if any, to Didier where Ash Grove employed an independent contractor, ECO. Therefore, before addressing Ash Grove's specific assignments of error on further review, we review the law relating to the liability of one who employs an independent contractor. Generally, one who employs an independent contractor is not liable for physical harm caused to another by the acts or omissions of the contractor or his servants. There are two recognized exceptions to the general rule pursuant to which the employer of an independent contractor may be vicariously liable to a third party. Those two exceptions are where (1) the employer retains control over the contractor's work or (2) the employer has a nondelegable duty to protect another from harm. See Ray v. Argos Corp., 259 Neb. 799, 612 N.W.2d 246 (2000). Regarding the second exception involving nondelegable duties, in Parrish v. Omaha Public Power Dist., 242 Neb. 783, 496 N.W.2d 902 (1993), we noted that nondelegable duties included (1) the duty of an owner in possession and control of premises to provide a safe place for work by a contractor's employee, (2) a duty imposed by statute or rule of law, and (3) the duty of due care imposed on an employer of an independent contractor when the contractor's work involves special risks or dangers, including work that is dangerous in the absence of special precautions. We do not read the list of nondelegable duties in Parrish as exhaustive, and we therefore note that nondelegable duties include, but are not limited to, those three listed above. As we read Didier's petition, the district court's order, the Court of Appeals' decision, and the record and argument in this case, we understand Didier to claim that Ash Grove was liable both because Ash Grove retained control over ECO's work and because Ash Grove had nondelegable duties. With respect to nondelegable duties, Didier asserted that Ash Grove's nondelegable duties included (1) the duty of an owner in possession and control of premises to provide a safe place for work by a contractor's employee, (2) duties imposed by rules and regulations of the U.S. Department of Labor, and (3) the duty of due care imposed on an employer of an independent contractor when the contractor's work involves special risks or dangers. In granting summary judgment in favor of Ash Grove, the district court summarized the facts and, as we read the district court opinion, effectively concluded that Ash Grove either did not have or did not breach any of those duties. The Court of Appeals affirmed the district court's determination that Ash Grove did not have a nondelegable duty arising from special risks. That issue was not raised on further review, and we therefore do not further discuss special risks herein. The nondelegable duty derived from duties imposed by rules or law and the nondelegable duty due to control of premises by the one who employs an independent contractor are implicated in Ash Grove's two assignments of error on further review. Those issues are discussed below.