Court Opinion

ID: 9940216
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2024-02-13 17:33:59.223963+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T13:44:38.087114
License: Public Domain

Under applicable rules of appellate review I feel compelled to affirm that portion of the judgment entered in favor of plaintiffs, Ruiz, Gonzales, Aragon and Sandoval.
With respect to the opinion of the majority affirming the portion entered in favor of plaintiff-in-intervention, I dissent. In my opinion inadequate and improper jury instruction in this case has resulted in a miscarriage of justice and that the opinion of the majority will be instrumental in perpetuating such injustice in future litigation of this character. The form of the affirmative defense as pleaded in the answer to the complaint-in-intervention leaves much to be desired but may be considered sufficient to raise the defense in issue. The jury instructions requested by defendant, and as finally given by the court were, in general, confusing and inadequate and, in particular, the failure properly to instruct on the affirmative defense and the giving of intervener's No. 1 reading as follows was error: "If you decide that the plaintiffs are entitled to judgment against the defendant by reason of a defect in the manufacture or design of the adhesive manufactured by defendant you will return a verdict in favor of the Intervenor, State Compensation Insurance Fund, against defendant in the amount of $33,951.82." This instruction in effect directed a verdict in favor of intervener if the jury finds defendant liable to plaintiffs on the theory of strict liability, thus eliminating consideration of any affirmative defense. Plaintiff-in-intervention, employer's workmen's compensation carrier, stands in the employer's shoes and has no greater rights against a third party tortfeasor than does the employer itself. A negligent employer may not recover compensation benefits paid from a third party tortfeasor. "Thus, whether an action is brought by the employer or the employee, the third party tortfeasor should be able to invoke the concurrent negligence of the employer to defeat its right of reimbursement, since, in either event, the action is brought for the benefit of the employer to the extent that compensation benefits have been paid to the employee." (Witt v. Jackson, 57 Cal.2d 57, at p. 72 [17 Cal.Rptr. 369, 366 P.2d 641].) The mere fact that the theory of recovery may be strict liability does not deprive the third party tortfeasor of its right to assert any available legal defenses. "Fault" *Page 472 
on the part of the employer may be such a defense. (Barth v.B.F. Goodrich Tire Co., 265 Cal.App.2d 228, 243 [71 Cal.Rptr. 306].) In the instant case the record discloses that the employer furnished a volatile adhesive in drums to its employees for use in the gluing department. This department was permeated by glue vapors. The drums were labeled: "Warning Flammable Mixture. Vapors harmful. Use only in well ventilated areas. Before using: Extinguish all flames and pilot lights. Keep product and its vapors away from heat, sparks and flames. During application and until vapors are gone, avoid using spark producing electrical equipment such as switches, appliances, etc. Avoid prolonged breathing of vapors and repeated contact with skin. Keep container closed when not in use." There was evidence of improper ventilation in the gluing department area. The presence of vapors was known to the employer. The lack of ventilation was called to the employer's attention with the result that two small fans were installed. One employee testified that he was told by the foreman that too much air would cause the glue to dry too fast. A meeting with the shop steward on the subject of glue vapors was had in the front office on a workday. There was substantial testimony as to the inefficiency of the fans. There was one window and one door kept open. Others were generally closed. No respirators were available although cloth masks were supplied but not used. This evidence was sufficient to permit of a finding that the employer(user-consumer of the product), being aware of the existence of danger from "prolonged breathing of vapors and repeated contact with skin," proceeded to make use of the product in an unreasonable manner and in a manner condemned by Labor Code sections 6402, 6403, and 6404, as well as General Safety Orders 4100, 4101, 4102, 4103, and 4105, which form the subject matter of a number of instructions given to the jury. Assuming a finding of a knowledgeable unreasonable or illegal use of the product by the employer, the employer's compensation carrier should not be permitted to recoup workmen's compensation benefits paid to employees injured as a result of such use, whether the defense be legally labeled fault, contributory negligence, assumption of risk, or otherwise. As was said in Barth, supra, at page 243: "The only form of plaintiff's negligence that is a defense to strict liability is that which consists in voluntarily and unreasonably proceeding to encounter a known danger, more commonly referred to as assumption of risk. For such a defense to arise, the user or consumer must become aware of the defect and danger and still proceed unreasonably to make use of the product. This rule has been consistently followed and repeated by the courts of our state (Seely v. White Motor Co., 63 Cal.2d 9
[45 Cal.Rptr. 17, 403 P.2d 145]; Canifax v. Hercules PowderCo., 237 Cal.App.2d 44, 46 [46 Cal.Rptr. 552]; see Prosser,Strict Liability to the Consumer in *Page 473 California, 18 Hastings L.J. 9, 48-50)." In Barth it was determined that there was no evidence on which such a defense could be based. In the instant case an affirmative defense of employer's "fault" was pleaded. There was evidence supporting such a defense and requiring its submission to the jury under appropriate instructions. Defendant offered contributory negligence and assumption of risk instructions applicable to the individual plaintiffs which were given by the court. Neither was tailored to the cause of action presented by the intervener. While the failure to tender proper instructions to the court is sometimes deemed to be a waiver such cannot justify the directing of a verdict in this case, although I hesitate to reward counsel for his failure to be of more assistance to the trial court in this respect. The prejudicial effect of the giving of intervener's instruction No. 1 set forth above, was recognized by the trial court and the error should likewise have been recognized and corrected at the hearing of the motion for new trial.
It is anticipated that, in the absence of a learned expose on the subject by our high court, substantial confusion may result from this published opinion in the minds of those individuals governed by its content. The comments of the majority directed at this dissent are illustrative of the point.
I would reverse that portion of the judgment in favor of plaintiff-in-intervention.
A petition for a rehearing was denied March 18, 1971, and appellant's petition for a hearing by the Supreme Court was denied April 22, 1971. *Page 474