Opinion ID: 1096305
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The Babapour-Sun Sentinel Relationship

Text: Keith worked for Behrouz Babapour. Babapour had been a Sun Sentinel delivery agent for more than ten years pursuant to a Delivery Agent Agreement (Agreement) with the News & Sun Sentinel Company. The Agreement provided that Babapour was an independent contractor engaged to deliver Sun Sentinel newspapers throughout a specified territory in Broward County. At the time of the accident, Babapour employed fifty street vendors at fifty different locations throughout Broward County. Babapour was responsible for filing his own state and federal tax returns, social security contributions, if any, and for filing the tax returns and social security contributions related to his sale of newspapers. At the time of Keith's accident, Babapour had every street vendor, prior to allowing them to work, sign an insurance enrollment card either rejecting or accepting accident insurance. Babapour obtained these cards at the Sun Sentinel warehouse from Sun Sentinel employees. Babapour was charged by Sun Sentinel for the accident insurance on his paper bill ($1.30/vendor) and Sun Sentinel paid the insurance carrier for the coverage. Babapour testified that he had no discussions with his vendors about worker's compensation coverage, and that he did not believe that he or Keith were employees of Sun Sentinel.