Opinion ID: 1855309
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 7

Heading: Retention of Control

Text: While Hobbs did not retain sufficient control over Yelli's work to subject him to liability for the acts of Yelli as an agent or employee, we must determine whether Hobbs retained some control over the relevant work and whether he is therefore liable for a failure to exercise reasonable care in the use of that control. Restatement (Second) of Torts § 414 at 387 (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. See, also, Parrish v. Omaha Pub. Power Dist., 242 Neb. 783, 496 N.W.2d 902 (1993). To impose liability on the employer of an independent contractor, the employer must have (1) supervised the work that caused the injury; (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. See id. Kime clearly fails to meet the above criteria in the instant case. Having the right to control and supervise the work in this context implies having the ability to oversee and direct the manner in which the work which caused the injury is carried out. As we have already concluded, Hobbs had no control over the manner in which Yelli operated his vehicle. While Hobbs may have retained control over particular aspects of the transportation process, such as the time and place of pickup and delivery and the rate of payment, this supervisory control did not extend to the operation of the tractor-livestock trailer unit itself. Consequently, Hobbs did not supervise the relevant work and had no opportunity to prevent the conduct that led to the damages alleged in this case. Accordingly, we conclude that Hobbs did not retain the type of control over the activities that led to the accident sufficient to subject him to liability.