Court Opinion

ID: 9717659
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-26 07:07:59.258446+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:23:54.555488
License: Public Domain

CARTER, Justice
(concurring specially).
I concur in Division III of the opinion of the court holding that there was a lack of subject matter jurisdiction as to the tort claim against Wayne Nathen. Although I cannot accede to the theories of finality and issue preclusion contained in Division I and Division II of the opinion, I agree with the result which is reached on the third party claims.
As has been made clear from our decision in Rozevink v. Faris, 342 N.W.2d 845 (Iowa 1983), any change in law from contributory negligence to comparative negligence does not affect the joint and several liability of the tortfeasors to the injured party. Similarly, as held in Thompson v. Stearns Chemical Corp., 345 N.W.2d 131 (Iowa 1984), any such change in the law does not affect the common law rules of indemnity among tortfeasors. There has therefore been no change in the common law which should prompt us to alter our views with respect to contractual indemnity.
Under existing law, the absence of any provision in the agreement for recovery of indemnity notwithstanding the indemnitee’s negligence defeats the third party claim under the theory applied in Evans v. Howard R. Green Co., 231 N.W.2d 907, 916 (Iowa 1975). I vote to affirm the trial court on all issues.