Opinion ID: 1894152
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Liability of GB & B

Text: Hannah argues that the trial court erred in entering a summary judgment in favor of GB & B, the company that converted the belt wrapper to its original overwind configuration in 1996, because, she contends, the evidence was sufficient to create a genuine issue of material fact as to whether the absence of a barrier guard between the belt wrapper and the recoiler was an obvious defect that GB & B should have recognized and remedied. According to Hannah, the deposition testimony and affidavits of her mechanical engineering expert, Dr. L.D. Ryan, and the deposition testimony of a certified safety professional, Scott Wells, made a prima facie showing that a contractor such as GB & B has a duty to ensure that effective safeguards are included in the specifications for potentially dangerous machinery such as the belt wrapper before the contractor follows those specifications. Hannah argues that Dr. Ryan's testimony is bolstered in light of regulations promulgated by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) requiring barrier guards at pinch points, such as the area between the belt wrapper and the recoiler. GB & B argues that the summary judgment in its favor was proper because, it says, GB & B completed the reconfiguration of the belt wrapper in full accordance with the plans and specifications provided by Reynolds. According to GB & B, the plans and specifications submitted by Reynolds were not so obviously defective that no competent contractor would follow them. GB & B argues that Hannah's primary evidence to the contrary consisted of the deposition testimony and affidavits of her expert, Dr. Ryan, and that this Court should not rely on Dr. Ryan's deposition testimony and affidavits, because, according to GB & B, Dr. Ryan's testimony was inadmissible. [2]
The law in Alabama regarding the liability of contractors who carry out construction projects based upon the plans and specifications of the owner was recognized in McFadden v. Ten-T Corp., 529 So.2d 192, 200-01 (Ala.1988): `An independent contractor owes no duty to third persons to judge the plans, specifications or instructions which he has merely contracted to follow. If the contractor carefully carries out the specifications provided him, he is justified in relying upon the adequacy of the specifications unless they are so obviously dangerous that no competent contractor would follow them.' 529 So.2d at 200, quoting Hunt v. Blasius, 74 Ill.2d 203, 209, 384 N.E.2d 368, 371, 23 Ill.Dec. 574, 577 (1979). Based upon the rule recognized in McFadden, an independent contractor is not free to comply with obviously defective plans and specifications that the contractor should know may create unreasonably dangerous conditions. Rather, a contractor is expected to act reasonably under the particular circumstances in order to avoid accidents. Aldridge v. Valley Steel Constr., Inc., 603 So.2d 981, 984 (Ala.1992). Thus, the mere fact that GB & B followed the plans and specifications supplied by Reynolds does not, in and of itself, shield GB & B from liability if GB & B should have been aware that complying with those plans and specifications would create an unreasonably dangerous condition. Hannah submitted expert testimony through the deposition testimony and affidavits of Dr. Ryan and Scott Wells. Dr. Ryan was a mechanical engineer, professionally licensed in 11 states, with significant experience in designing and building complex industrial machinery. Dr. Ryan testified that in forming his opinions in this case, he relied upon his personal inspection of the accident site, photographs of the accident site, the original blueprints for the belt wrapper in its overwind configuration, a summary of Carlos Gregg's deposition, Roy Gieske's affidavit, an OSHA report, the Reynolds accident report, and a number of depositions, including the depositions of Eric Blackstock and Thomas Thornton, Reynolds engineers; Les Rice, an engineer with McKay Corporation; and John Montoro, a Westinghouse engineer. In his deposition testimony, Dr. Ryan stated that the absence of a barrier guard at the area between the belt wrapper and the recoiler [was] a defect that should have been obvious to an experienced general contractor like [GB & B], who had been doing jobs like this at Reynolds for many years, especially given the fact that OSHA and its safety standards had been in effect for over 20 years by this time. Dr. Ryan further testified: Carlos Gregg, the principal of [GB & B], is a professional engineer. As such, he has a special, sworn duty to uphold the safety and well being of the public. He should have readily seen ... the absence of a barrier guard at the area between the belt wrapper and the recoiler, recognized it for the defect it is and [called] that defect to Reynolds's attention. In addition to Dr. Ryan's deposition testimony, Hannah submitted two affidavits one dated June 21, 2001, and one dated July 27, 2001in which Dr. Ryan opined that GB & B should have been on notice of the hazard of failing to include a barrier guard between the belt wrapper and the recoiler. In his June 21, 2001, affidavit Dr. Ryan stated: The absence of a barrier guard was an obvious defect in the plans developed for the `conversion to overwind' project, given the fact that OSHA had, since the early 1970's, mandated the use of barrier guards in situations like this.... A competent contractor should have seen that the absence of a barrier guard and the absence of a lockout/tagout device posed a serious hazard at the point created by the belt wrapper and the recoiler and should have warned Reynolds of the problem. Most of the industrial general contractors that I have dealt with in my years of experience in this field would have noted the missing barrier guard and missing lockout/tagout device in this case and, at a bare minimum, would have alerted Reynolds in writing of the problem. Many times I have seen situations like this arise and the general contractor would simply assume that the owner and/or designer intended for safeguarding to be installed and would include adequate safeguarding measure[s] in their bid and their work on the project as a matter of course. [GB & B's] failure to at least notify Reynolds of the problem simply falls below the level of care most industrial contractors would give to such a situation. In his July 27, 2001, affidavit, Dr. Ryan stated: Just yesterday, I learned that I had overlooked ANSI B11.18, which specifically applies to coil processing machinery including the recoiler and belt wrapper that caused Jerry Hannah's death.... This standard, promulgated by the American National Standards Institute in May of 1985, requires a `rebuilder' of this kind of machinery, like [GB & B], to see to it that it is effectively safeguarded. (ANSI B11.18, 1.2.4, p. 9; 6.1, p. 26.) In particular, this standard requires barrier guards or other effective means of guarding at hazardous areas such as pinch points like the area between the recoiler and belt wrapper where Jerry Hannah was crushed and killed.... ANSI B11.18 had been in force for over a decade when [GB & B] rebuilt the recoiler and belt wrapper in May of 1996, just weeks before Jerry Hannah was killed. They should have realized, as a competent contractor and rebuilder, that the belt wrapper and recoiler posed an extremely hazardous pinch point and that the absence of a barrier guard or other effective safeguards was an obvious defect in the plans. [GB & B's] failure to, at least, notify Reynolds of the problem violated the duty imposed by ANSI B11.18. It ... also falls far short of what most industrial contractors would do in a situation like this. In addition to the deposition testimony and affidavits of Dr. Ryan, Hannah also relied upon the deposition testimony of Scott Wells, a certified safety professional employed by Reynolds. Wells did not testify that the absence of a barrier guard was an obvious defect that GB & B should have recognized. However, Wells did testify that when an contractor performs a job, the contractor should try to ensure that when the contractor leaves, the project will be in a safe condition. According to Wells, a contractor does this by following all OSHA regulations, other current regulations, and the national code of ethics for professional engineers. [3] Wells testified that if a contractor observed anything it believed was deficient, that contractor should have brought it to the attention of Reynolds. According to Wells, [a]nytime you are aware of a pinch point or crush point you should correct it. Wells testified that the area between the belt wrapper and the recoiler was an obvious pinch point and that, in his opinion, the area did not meet OSHA standards. Wells testified that he was not stating that GB & B was aware of the need for a barrier guard in that area; he was saying, however, that if it was, it should have brought that need to Reynolds's attention. If admissible, Dr. Ryan's deposition testimony and affidavits, coupled with the deposition testimony of Scott Wells, would be sufficient to create a genuine issue of material fact as to whether the absence of a barrier guard between the belt wrapper and the recoiler was an obvious defect that GB & B should have recognized and remedied.
GB & B argues that this Court should not consider Dr. Ryan's deposition testimony and affidavits because, it argues, Dr. Ryan was not qualified to render an opinion against an industrial contractor like GB & B and his opinion testimony was inadmissible. GB & B argues that Dr. Ryan's testimony and affidavits are inadmissible for the following reasons: 1) Dr. Ryan was not familiar with the facts of the case; 2) Dr. Ryan overlooked an ANSI standard in his deposition and did not provide a citation to a specific OSHA regulation; 3) Dr. Ryan was not an industrial-construction contractor; 4) Dr. Ryan was inadequately prepared during his deposition; 5) Dr. Ryan attempted to specify the legal duty of contractors in Alabama; 6) Dr. Ryan's opinion was based on speculation; 7) Dr. Ryan's July 27, 2001, affidavit contains inadmissible hearsay and is untimely; and 8) Dr. Ryan's testimony did not confirm that GB & B acted negligently. It is well established that the question whether a particular witness will be allowed to testify as an expert is largely discretionary with the trial court, and that court's judgment will not be disturbed absent an abuse of discretion. Brown v. Lawrence, 632 So.2d 462, 464 (Ala.1994). The record indicates that GB & B submitted a motion to strike Dr. Ryan's testimony at the trial court. Because there is no indication in the record that the court excluded Dr. Ryan's deposition testimony and affidavits, we must assume that the trial court considered them when it ruled on GB & B's motion for a summary judgment. See Travis v. Ziter, 681 So.2d 1348, 1351 (Ala.1996). Dr. Ryan stated in his June 21, 2001, affidavit that he received a bachelor of science degree in mechanical engineering from Tri-State University in 1959, and a master's degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Toledo in 1967. Dr. Ryan also held a doctorate degree in agricultural engineering from Michigan State University. He has been a licensed professional engineer since 1967. At the time of his deposition, Dr. Ryan was licensed in 11 states and had applied, and been approved, for a license in the State of Alabama. Dr. Ryan also testified that he had 40 years of experience in both designing and building complex industrial machinery. The mere fact that Dr. Ryan is not by occupation an industrial-construction contractor, but rather a mechanical engineer, does not preclude him from offering opinion testimony regarding the design and reconfiguration of the belt wrapper. See Ellingwood v. Stevens, 564 So.2d 932, 936 (Ala.1990). An expert witness is one with `such knowledge, skill, experience, or training ... that his opinion will be considered in reason as giving the trier of fact light upon the question to be determined.' Quoting C. Gamble, McElroy's Alabama Evidence § 127.01(5) (3d ed.1977). Dr. Ryan testified that he had 40 years of experience in both designing and building complex industrial machinery. Any deficiency in his extensive knowledge in the area of designing and building complex machinery is a proper subject for cross-examination, but it does not disqualify him as an expert. GB & B's argument that Dr. Ryan's deposition testimony and affidavits are inadmissible because he was not familiar with the facts of the case is without merit. Dr. Ryan stated in his deposition testimony and affidavits that his opinions were based on his personal inspection of the belt wrapper; photographs of the accident site; the original blueprints for the belt wrapper in its overwind configuration; the depositions of engineers employed by Reynolds and Westinghouse, and formerly employed by McKay Corporation; a summary of Carlos Gregg's deposition; Roy Gieske's affidavit; an OSHA report; and the Reynolds accident report. The knowledge upon which Dr. Ryan based his opinion was more than sufficient to permit the trial court to consider his testimony. Furthermore, any objection to Dr. Ryan's testimony based on his alleged lack of knowledge goes to the weight rather than the admissibility of that testimony. Ellingwood, supra; see also Southern Energy Homes, Inc. v. Washington, 774 So.2d 505, 517 (Ala.2000), and Tidwell v. Upjohn Co., 626 So.2d 1297, 1300 (Ala.1993). In addition, the mere fact that Dr. Ryan overlooked an ANSI standard in his deposition and the fact that Dr. Ryan did not provide a citation to a specific OSHA regulation during his deposition do not alone render his opinion inadmissible. After his deposition was taken and his first affidavit was filed, Dr. Ryan recognized that in addition to violating OSHA regulations and the national code of ethics for engineers, GB & B had violated the ANSI requirement of implementing barrier guards in hazardous areas like the area between the belt wrapper and recoiler. Dr. Ryan pointed this out in his July 27, 2001, affidavit. And although Dr. Ryan could not state during his deposition the citation to the particular OSHA regulation requiring barrier guards, Dr. Ryan did know that such a regulation existed, and he offered to provide a cite to it after his deposition. `To qualify as an expert a witness does not have to be shown to be infallible or possessing the highest degree of skill.` Knapp v. Wilkins, 786 So.2d 457, 461 (Ala.2000), quoting Kitchens v. State, 31 Ala.App. 239, 241, 14 So.2d 739, 741 (1943). Further, `[t]he criterion for admission of expert testimony is that the witness, by study, practice, experience or observation as to the particular subject, should have acquired a knowledge beyond that of ordinary witnesses.' Knapp, supra, quoting Kitchens, supra. GB & B's argument that Dr. Ryan's testimony should be excluded because he was inadequately prepared during his deposition is also without merit. First, GB & B provides no support for the theory that an expert's testimony can be inadmissible on the basis that the expert did not prepare as thoroughly as the opposing party would have liked. Rule 28(a)(5), Ala. R.App. P., requires that an appellant provide citations to the authorities relied upon in the argument portion of the appellant's brief. Rule 28(b) provides that the appellee's brief shall conform to the same requirement. GB & B cites no authority for the proposition it advances. Second, GB & B's conclusion that Dr. Ryan was not prepared for his deposition because he did not review the plans and specifications for the reconfiguration of the belt wrapper and did not read Carlos Gregg's deposition is tenuous. Dr. Ryan stated in his June 21, 2001, affidavit that he reviewed the original blueprints for the belt-wrapper project because he had learned from the deposition of Eric Blackstock, a Reynolds engineer, that no new drawings had been prepared for the project. Instead, the original drawings were used, and parts lists and procedures for the project were developed from those drawings. In addition, the broad statement that Dr. Ryan did not read the deposition of Carlos Gregg is misleading. Dr. Ryan stated that he had assigned his associate engineers to read Gregg's deposition and to prepare a summary of that deposition. Dr. Ryan then read the summary of Gregg's deposition. Neither of GB & B's arguments regarding Dr. Ryan's preparation for his deposition renders Dr. Ryan's testimony inadmissible. GB & B also argues that Dr. Ryan's deposition testimony should be excluded because, according to GB & B, Dr. Ryan attempted to define a legal standard by which GB & B should be held accountable. Dr. Ryan stated in his deposition: Ordinarily, a general contractor would only have a duty to follow the engineered plans provided to it. However, two exceptions apply to the general rule and both are applicable to this case. First, even a general contractor has a duty to bring to the purchaser's attention any obviously substandard plans it is called upon to execute.... Generally, a witness, whether expert or lay, cannot give an opinion that constitutes a legal conclusion or amounts to the application of a legal definition. Phillips v. Harris, 643 So.2d 974, 976 (Ala.1994); see also C. Gamble, McElroy's Alabama Evidence § 128.07 (5th ed.1996). We do not agree, however, that one statement by an expert witness explaining a legal standard in the industry as to which that witness is an expert invalidates that portion of the expert's testimony that does not pertain to that legal standard. Thus, even if we exclude from his testimony, Dr. Ryan's explanation of the legal duty GB & B owed, Dr. Ryan's testimony that GB & B should have recognized the need for a barrier guard would not be inadmissible. The same rationale applies to GB & B's argument that Dr. Ryan's July 27, 2001, affidavit is inadmissible because it contains hearsay: in it Dr. Ryan recounts his previous testimony. Even if this Court were to exclude Ryan's July 27, 2001, affidavit, which recounts his prior testimony, that prior testimony is not excluded because it is also contained in Ryan's deposition and his June 21, 2001, affidavit. Thus, Ryan's testimony that GB & B should have recognized and remedied the obvious hazard of the pinch point between the belt wrapper and the recoiler is still admissible. Finally, GB & B argues that the July 27, 2001, affidavit of Dr. Ryan was untimely because, according to GB & B, it was filed one month after the trial court entered its summary judgment. The affidavit was submitted in support of Hannah's Rule 59, Ala. R. Civ. P., motion to alter, amend, or vacate the summary judgment in favor of GB & B. GB & B argues that Rule 56(c)(2), Ala. R. Civ. P., requires that opposing affidavits be submitted at least two days before the hearing on the summary-judgment motion. According to GB & B, the July 27, 2001, affidavit was inadmissible because, it says, the affidavit did not contain new evidence; GB & B argues that the information contained in the affidavit had been available since 1985. GB & B is correct that a Rule 59(e) motion does not operate to extend the time for filing affidavits or other material in opposition to a motion for summary judgment if by due diligence the new evidence could have been discovered before the motion for summary judgment was submitted. See Moore v. Glover, 501 So.2d 1187, 1189 (Ala. 1986). However, GB & B fails to recognize that, even if this Court were to exclude Dr. Ryan's July 27, 2001, affidavit, there still exists substantial evidence in the form of deposition testimony and the June 21, 2001, affidavit by which Dr. Ryan expressed the opinion that GB & B should have recognized the obvious hazard of the absence of a barrier guard between the belt wrapper and the recoiler. Based upon the foregoing, we must conclude that Dr. Ryan's deposition testimony and his affidavit of June 21, 2001, were admissible. We decline to determine whether Dr. Ryan's July 27, 2001, affidavit was admissible, because, without that affidavit, there exists substantial evidence creating a genuine issue of material fact as to whether the plans and specifications GB & B relied upon were so obviously defective that a reasonable contractor would be put on notice that the absence of a barrier guard would be dangerous and would likely cause injury. The trial court erred in entering a summary judgment in favor of GB & B.