Opinion ID: 1954245
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Joint Tortfeasors and Common Law Indemnity Actions

Text: The lower court, in granting summary judgment for Gulf South, found that Magnolia was negligent in its obligations to lay the sewer pipes properly. The lower court then assumed that Gulf South was also negligent in its duties to inspect and, therefore, Gulf South and Magnolia were joint tortfeasors. Such a theory of joint tortfeasors is misapplied to this set of facts. In the first place, Magnolia never admitted in its pleadings, answers, interrogatory answers, depositions or affidavits that it had performed its contractual duty negligently. All Magnolia admitted was that a section of pipe was laid off-grade. In fact, Magnolia produced much evidence through discovery that it performed its contractual obligations properly. The deposition of the foreman of the construction crew for Magnolia indicates that he and his crew continuously shot elevations on the grade and line while pipes were being installed. He stated that his cutsheet elevations indicate substantial compliance with the specifications for the job. He also stated that he had no explanation as to why there was a difference between the cutsheet elevations and the as-built plans. He continued that if those elevations were off, the tie-ins to the other pipes would have been off and the system would not work. He stated that when he left, the pipes had been in use in some places for over a year and that they were all properly working. He also claims that when specific problems arose at the job site, the engineers were notified by him and the engineers made the decision to make any changes in the original plans. The deposition of the project engineer for Gulf South also indicates that during the progress of the job, he did not perceive that Magnolia was doing its job negligently. In fact, in one instance he stated that he would not have signed the Periodic Pay Request if he had known that the work was not up to par. The engineer also stated that he left the project when about 90% of the work was completed, and that before he left, he had never ordered any work to be redone by Magnolia. The deposition of the engineer's assistant for Gulf South also indicates that during the progress of the project, he checked invert elevations regularly and found that they were usually satisfactory. He further testified that if he checked the elevation and there was something wrong, he reported it to the contractor immediately. His field notes indicate that he checked other elevations himself with his own equipment and determined on various occasions that the contractor was laying the pipe to grade. Apparently, the foreman for Magnolia knew of several occasions that he had incorrect elevations and asked the engineer's assistant to check it for him. The assistant was only available on the job throughout the first five to ten percent of it. The deposition of the Gulf South's field representative who worked throughout the remainder of the project indicates that the foreman for Magnolia diligently checked his own grade elevations. He stated that the foreman probably shot more grade elevations than he did, probably one thousand to one. He also stated that the foreman rechecked his grades every morning with the laser beam before he began laying pipe. In summary, Magnolia produced evidence that it had adequately performed its obligations under its contract to the City. On the contrary, Magnolia alleges that the pipe was laid off-grade due to Gulf South's negligence. Gulf South produced evidence that Magnolia performed negligently, causing the pipe to be laid off-grade. The deposition of its expert witness indicates that the responsibility to check for correct line and grade was clearly assigned to the contractor in the Project Manual. In his opinion, the reason the Hattiesburg project was laid off-grade was because the contractor failed to institute a quality control program of its own. It was also his opinion that it was a matter of engineering judgment whether or not a particular project required day-to-day, periodic, or only final inspection under the contract documents. The engineer's only responsibility to the City under this Project Manual was to deliver a completed correct project, which he claims it eventually did. Gulf South, then, produced evidence that it performed its contractual obligations adequately and that Magnolia perhaps did not. At the outset, whether or not Magnolia performed negligently is a genuine issue of material fact much in dispute. In order for the trial judge to find that Magnolia was negligent, he had to decide this issue himself. This issue, however, is one that must be decided by the trier of fact at a trial on the merits, and the trial judge erred when he decided this issue under M.R.C.P. 56. Next, the trial judge determined that since both Magnolia and Gulf South were negligent, they were joint tortfeasors and that Magnolia cannot maintain an indemnity action against Gulf South. In order to be joint tortfeasors, Magnolia and Gulf South would either have to have acted in concert to cause damage to the City; would have to be able to be joined as co-defendants; one would have to be vicariously liable to the other; or both would have to have negligently carried out a common duty owed to the City. See Prosser and Keeton on the Law of Torts, §§ 46-47 (W. Page Keeton, 5th Ed. 1984). None of these categories applies to Magnolia and Gulf South because each fulfilled its contractual obligation to the City and neither of them is being sued by the City. Indeed, the City has suffered no loss. Magnolia repaired the defective work, sustaining a $350,000 loss in the process. The City, having suffered no damage, could not sue either Magnolia or Gulf South in tort. Therefore, Magnolia and Gulf South cannot be joint tortfeasors who are liable to the City. The case does not turn on what duty Magnolia and Gulf South owed to the City. Rather, it turns on what duty Gulf South, as a design professional, owed to the contractor and whether Gulf South breached that duty. Since Mississippi is a comparative negligence state, see Miss. Code Ann. § 11-7-15 (1972 & Cumm.Supp. 1987), Gulf South may allege Magnolia's negligence as a defense and the trier of fact can assign fault proportionately. The trial judge erred in granting summary judgment based on a theory of joint tortfeasors and common law indemnity.