Opinion ID: 1242934
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The Restatement Second of Torts

Text: In the Restatement Second of Torts, sections 413 and 416, both of which set forth a theory of peculiar risk liability, appear in chapter 15. The chapter is entitled Liability of an Employer of an Independent Contractor. Its first section states the general rule that the employer of an independent contractor is not liable for physical harm caused to another by an act or omission of the contractor or his servants. (Rest.2d Torts, § 409, p. 370.) Sections 413 and 416 describe exceptions to this general rule of nonliability, as we discuss below.
Section 413 of the Restatement Second of Torts is part of chapter 15's topic 1 entitled Harm Caused by Fault of Employers of Independent Contractors. Section 413 bears the heading, Duty to Provide for Taking of Precautions Against Dangers Involved in Work Entrusted to Contractor. It reads: One who employs an independent contractor to do work which the employer should recognize as likely to create, during its progress, a peculiar unreasonable risk of physical harm to others unless special precautions are taken, is subject to liability for physical harm caused to them by the absence of such precautions if the employer [f] (a) fails to provide in the contract that the contractor shall take such precautions, or [11] (b) fails to exercise reasonable care to provide in some other manner for the taking of such precautions. (Rest.2d Torts, § 413.) Because section 413 rests the liability of the hiring person on his or her omission to provide for special precautions in the contract or in some other manner, it is sometimes described as a rule of direct liability., (See Aceves v. Regal Pale Brewing Co., supra, 24 Cal.3d 502, 509, 156 Cal.Rptr. 41, 595 P.2d 619; Griesel v. Dart Industries, Inc., supra, 23 Cal.3d 578, 585-586, 153 Cal.Rptr. 213, 591 P.2d 503; see also Kelleher v. Empresa Hondurena de Vapores, S.A. (1976) 57 Cal.App.3d 52, 62, 129 Cal. Rptr. 32.)
Section 416 of the Restatement Second of Torts appears in chapter 15's topic 2, Harm Caused by Negligence of a Carefully Selected Independent Contractor. Section 416 is entitled, Work Dangerous in Absence of Special Precautions. It provides: One who employs an independent contractor to do work which the employer should recognize as likely to create during its progress a peculiar risk of physical harm to others unless special precautions are taken, is subject to liability for physical harm caused to them by the failure of the contractor to exercise reasonable care to take such precautions, even though the employer has provided for such precautions in the contract or otherwise. (Rest.2d Torts, § 416.) As the introductory note to this section explains, the [hiring person] is under a duty which he is not free to delegate to the contractor. (Rest.2d Torts, ch. 15, topic 2, Introductory Note, p. 394; see also Van Arsdale v. Hollinger (1968) 68 Cal.2d 245,255, 66 Cal.Rptr. 20,437 P.2d 508 [describing section 416 as imposing a nondelegable duty to exercise due care].) Because the hiring person's ability under section 416 of the Restatement Second of Torts flows from the independent contractor's negligent failure to take special precautions in performing the inherently dangerous work, as required by the contract or otherwise, the hiring person's liability is often referred to as `Vicarious ability. (See Kelleher v. Empresa Hondurena de Vapores, SA, supra, 57 Cal.App.3d at p. 62, 129 Cal. Rptr. 32; Anderson v. Chancellor Western Oil Develop. Corp. (1975) 53 Cal.App.3d 235, 240,125 Cal.Rptr. 640.) [1]