Court Opinion

ID: 9458204
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-04 20:45:31.381186+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:35:40.402592
License: Public Domain

CHOY, Circuit Judge
(dissenting):
I respectfully dissent.
Unlike my brothers, I believe the question of whether Willis was a loaned or borrowed servant is one of fact, to be answered by the trier of the facts and to be reviewed by this Court under the clearly erroneous rule of Fed.R.Civ.P. 52(a). Restatement of Agency 2d § 220, comment c; United States v. Becker, 378 F.2d 319, 321 (9th Cir. 1967); Brucker v. United States, 338 F.2d 427, 428, n. 3 (9th Cir. 1964). In California this factual question may be determined by the court as a matter of law only when a single inference can reasonably be drawn from the facts. “Master and Servant,” 32 Cal.Jur.2d § 12, p. 411. Unless no other reasonable conclusion is legally dedueible from the evidence and any other holding would be so lacking in evidentiary support as to be reversible on appeal, the issue is one of fact, not of law. Umsted v. Scofield Engineering Construction Co., 203 Cal. 224, 263 P. 799, 800 (1928).
The uncontested evidence, contrary to my Brothers’ assertion, permits not only the reasonable inference that Willis remained the Government’s servant but also the equally reasonable inference *430that he was a loaned servant controlled by Oro Dam Constructors (Constructors). The evidence also amply rebuts the presumption of retained control raised by Billig v. Southern Pacific Co., 189 Cal. 477, 209 P. 241 (1922). There being substantial evidentiary support for the District Court’s conclusion, I cannot find it clearly erroneous.
The following facts, among others, amply rebut the Billig presumption and support the conclusion that Willis was a loaned servant:
1. Willis was doing Constructors’ work at the time of the accident.
2. The Government had no idea what work Willis would be doing. It released him temporarily to Constructors to do any work. (Reporter’s Transcript 80-81, 333).
3. Willis was ordered to report to Constructors and “carry out their instructions and their mission, whatever the mission might be.” (R.T. 76, 332).
4. What instructions or directions Willis did receive on the job situs came from Constructors including the instruction to free the grounded boat. (R.T. 47-48, 81-82, 85-87).
5. Willis was not in contact with the Government from the time he left for the temporary assignment through its completion. (R.T. 333).
6. Although the actual time he worked for Constructors was short, Willis was loaned for as long as he was needed, and after the work ended was told by Constructors he would no longer be needed. (R.T. 101-102).
7. He was loaned to do work which was not within the scope of his normal employment. (R.T. 93-95).
8. This case does not involve a rental of operator and equipment as in Billig, but involves a gratuitous loan, during an emergency, without any written contract. (R.T. 69, 282).
Constructors had the authority to tell Willis when, where, and how to perform his job. He complied with Constructors’ directions; and the inference is equally strong that he was following orders rather than “merely cooperating with” Constructors.
I would affirm.