Court Opinion

ID: 9608840
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-22 03:18:19.901728+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T12:12:56.816277
License: Public Domain

*453GIBSON, C. J.
Defendants, Mrs. McEachen and the administrator of the estate of her deceased husband, appeal from a judgment in the amount of $50,000 recovered by plaintiff as damages for severe burns she sustained while playing on a lot owned by the McEachens in joint tenancy.
A house had been torn down on the lot where the accident happened, and early in 1953 Mr. McEachen, who managed the real property of the couple, engaged Harry Plummer to burn the lumber and debris, which covered the lot. Plummer, an evening-shift worker in a tire factory, was a tenant of the McEachens, renting a house next to the lot, and he agreed to do the burning for one month’s free rent. McEachen told him that he could burn a little each day between 9 :00 a. m. and 10:30 or 11:00 a. m., and for several mornings after February 1st he burned some debris at approximately the center of the lot. On February 11, the day of the accident, Plummer did some burning in this manner and left the lot about 11:00 a. m., returning to his home.
About 2:30 p. m. on February 11, plaintiff, a girl 5 years and 9 months old, was walking home from school. Several children, among them two daughters and a son of Plummer, were playing on the lot, and one of them called to plaintiff to join them. A woman who saw the accident from her home nearby testified that plaintiff walked to the center of the lot, jumped over something and “stooped down” and that, when plaintiff got up, the back of her dress was on fire. The witness had observed the lot from the time that Plummer started the fire in the morning, and she stated that, when the accident happened, the fire was still smoldering, although there were no flames.
The court determined that plaintiff was capable of being a witness, and she testified that her dress caught fire when, having gone to the center of the lot and having jumped over a pile of wood, she squatted down to pick up a stick. She further said that there were no flames on the lot, that there was a little smoke in the center and embers on the ground, including a 6-inch pile under some wood, that she did not know embers could burn her or set her dress on fire, and that she knew of fire only from her mother’s stove.
According to one of Plummer’s daughters, her brother had started a fire near the front of the lot, and, when plaintiff came onto the lot, the children were playing with that fire, which was about 15 inches high. Both plaintiff and the wit*454ness jumped over the fire “a little hit over the side.” Plummer’s son testified that shortly before the accident the children were playing with a fire he had lighted. Neither of the two Plummer children saw when or how plaintiff’s dress caught fire.
Plummer testified that, before leaving the lot on the morning of February 11, he put out the fire by wetting it with a hose, raking it apart and pouring buckets of water over it, and that, when he came out of his house after the accident, he saw a fire of newspapers or cardboard at approximately the place where he had been burning earlier but did not see any “red coals.”
At the trial Mrs. McEachen denied knowing that children were playing on the lot prior to the accident, but it was shown that she had made a statement to the contrary in her deposition. According to Plummer, he knew that his children and others played on the lot after the house had been torn down, and Mr. McEachen had visited him on some occasions when the children were playing there.
Defendants first complain of an instruction given by the court on its own motion that there was no contributory negligence on the part of plaintiff. There are four theories which could warrant the giving of such an instruction: (1) that a child of the age of plaintiff is conclusively presumed to be incapable of contributory negligence; (2) that the evidence established that this particular plaintiff was incapable of such negligence with respect to the accident in question; (3) that it was proved, as a matter of law, that plaintiff, while capable of negligence, had exercised due care; or (4) that, although plaintiff had been negligent, her lack of care could not have contributed to her injury. None of these theories, however, can justify the giving of the instruction in this ease.
The questions whether a child was capable of exercising care to avoid the particular danger encountered and whether, if so, the child failed to exercise clue care, thereby contributing to the injury, are normally for the trier of fact to determine. (Cahill v. E. B. & A. L. Stone Co., 167 Cal. 126, 139 [138 P. 712].)  In keeping with this rule courts have rejected the theory that a child of plaintiff’s age, namely, between five and six, is incapable of contributory negligence as a matter of law. (Smith v. Harger, 84 Cal.App. 2d 361, 370 [191 P.2d 25] ; Carrillo v. Helms Bakeries, Ltd., 6 Cal.App.2d 299, 304 [44 P.2d 604].) [4] The evidence was conflicting as to whether plaintiff’s dress caught fire *455because she played near flames or because she squatted down on embers, and a determination of this conflict was obviously essential in order to resolve the questions of plaintiff’s capacity to exercise care for her safety and of her contributory negligence. Accordingly, those questions could not properly have been decided as matters of law.
Plaintiff appears to take the position that, in eases involving injury to young children, the trial judge may determine the issue of contributory negligence even though questions of fact are presented. She relies on a statement in Mayne v. San Diego Elec. Ry. Co., 179 Cal. 173, 177 [175 P. 690], that “as a rule courts upon appeal have not interfered with the discretion of trial courts in referring or in refusing to refer to juries the question as to whether the contributory negligence of children of the age of 14 years or under was such as to prevent their recovery . . . .” In that case, however, the trial judge had not decided the issue of contributory negligence but had submitted it to the jury. Thus, the case on its facts does not support plaintiff’s position, and the quoted language should not be construed in the manner urged.  Contributory negligence is a matter bearing directly upon the outcome of a suit, and, where, as in the present ease, the facts are in dispute, there is no rational basis for permitting the judge, rather than the jury, to resolve that matter. So far as has been called to our attention, the existence of such an exceptional power is not recognized anywhere.
The instruction that there was no contributory negligence on the part of plaintiff erroneously deprived defendants of a defense upon which they relied.  Although plaintiff has not raised the point, it has been suggested that the error is not prejudicial because, assertedly, the defense was so defectively pleaded that it must be treated as not properly in the case. However, there is nothing in the record to show, and plaintiff does not now claim, that the defect in the pleadings misled or hindered her in any way. Having sought unsuccessfully to strike the defense from the answer, plaintiff was aware that the matter was being treated as subject to trial, and she introduced evidence which, while it may also have been material to her ease in chief, undoubtedly tended to rebut the claim of contributory negligence, for example, her testimony that there were no flames on the lot, that she did not know embers could burn her or set her dress on fire, and that she knew of fire only from her mother’s stove. On appeal she has not seen fit to mention the defect and argues only that the *456instruction given by the court was proper under the evidence. In these circumstances we are not justified in disregarding the effect of the erroneous instruction, and, since the error was clearly prejudicial to defendants, the judgment must be reversed.
There are several other problems which should be discussed in order to guide the trial court in the event of a new trial. One of these concerns the effect, if any, upon defendants’ liability of the circumstance that Plummer, rather than defendants, actually did the burning.  The determination of whether Plummer was an independent contractor or an employee depends upon a consideration of various factors, the most important of which is the degree of control retained by the McEachens. (See Empire Star Mines Co. v. California Emp. Com., 28 Cal.2d 33, 43-44 [168 P.2d 686].) The evidence now before us is inconclusive in regard to this factor since it appears that McEachen gave only a few instructions and did not supervise the burning but that Plummer would have followed additional instructions had they been given. Other pertinent circumstances are also conflicting in their effect, for example, Plummer was paid by the job, rather than by the hour, but burning was not his usual occupation. On such a record, the question as to whether Plummer was an employee or an independent contractor is one of fact.
Obviously, if Plummer was an employee, defendants would be liable for any conduct on his part which, in view of his knowledge regarding use of the lot by children, would constitute a lack of due care. We do not mean to suggest, however, that there could be no liability if it should be found that Plummer was in independent contractor.  The rule that an employer is not liable for an independent contractor’s negligence is subject to numerous exceptions, including the ones set forth in sections 413 and 416 of the Restatement of Torts.* (Potter v. Empress Theatre Co., 91 Cal.App.2d 4, *45710-11 [204 P.2d 120] ; see Snyder v. Southern Cal. Edison Co., 44 Cal.2d 793, 797 [285 P.2d 912]; Knell v. Morris, 39 Cal.2d 450, 456 [247 P.2d 352].) Those sections relate to a situation where an independent contractor is employed to do work which the employer should recognize as necessarily creating a condition involving an unreasonable risk of bodily harm to others unless special precautions are taken. They impose liability upon the employer for an injury caused by the absence of such precautions if he has failed to take steps to assure observance of the precautions, either by a provision in the contract or in some other reasonable manner (§413), or if the independent contractor has not exercised reasonable care to take such precautions (§ 416). It is to be noted that the sections require knowledge of the employer himself concerning the existence of a risk to others, so that a showing of such knowledge must be made regardless of what the independent contractor may have known.
Another question is whether plaintiff, who undoubtedly has a cause of action if she was injured by active operations and was a licensee (see Oettinger v. Stewart, 24 Cal.2d 133, 136 [148 P.2d 19, 156 A.L.R. 1221]; Rest., Torts, § 341), has no cause of action if she was injured by a condition of the premises and was a trespasser.  A child trespasser injured by a condition of the premises may recover if the case comes within the rule set forth in section 339 of the Restatement of Torts, and, of course, a child licensee thus injured has at least an equal right of recovery (see Prosser on Torts (2d ed. 1955) pp. 450, 438-440; Rest., Torts, § 342 and comment (b) thereto). Section 339 reads: “A possessor of land is subject to liability for bodily harm to young children trespassing thereon caused by a structure or other artificial condition which he maintains upon the land, if (a) the place where the condition is maintained is one upon which the possessor knows or should know that such children are likely to trespass, and (b) the condition is one of which the possessor knows or should know and which he realizes or should realize as involving an unreasonable risk of death or serious bodily harm to such children, and (c) the children because of their youth do not discover the condition or realize the risk involved in intermeddling in it or in coming within the area made danger-
*458ous by it, and (d) the utility to the possessor of maintaining the condition is slight as compared to the risk to young children involved therein. ’ ’
The duty of the possessor of land under section 339 extends to dangerous conditions “which, though observable by adults, are likely not to be observed by children or which contain risks the full extent of which an adult would realize but which are beyond the imperfect realization of children.” However, it does not extend to “those conditions the existence of which is obvious even to children and the risk of which is fully realized by them.” (Best., Torts, § 339, comment (b).)  On the basis of the record now before us, different inferences could be drawn as to the character of the danger encountered by plaintiff, and it would be for the trier of fact to determine whether she was injured by a risk not obvious to her. The question whether the concealed danger, if it existed, should have been recognized as creating an unreasonable risk of serious harm to young children, would also be one of fact unless an affirmative answer is compelled in view of two county fire ordinances which, according to plaintiff, establish defendants’ negligence as a matter of law.
Section 1313 of Ordinance No. 2947 provides: “It shall be unlawful to leave, or cause or permit to be left, any outdoor or open fire unattended by an adult person, or such person or persons as may be required in permit issued for any such fire by the County Eire Warden. Before leaving any such fire, such person or persons in charge of such fire shall thoroughly extinguish same by completely covering it with dirt, saturating it with water, or otherwise treating it in such a manner to prevent rekindling of such fire.”
Section 1301 of Ordinance No. 5520, which also relates to open fires, provides that a person shall not burn, or cause or permit to be burned, any combustible material unless (a) he first secures a permit to do so, or (b) the burning is done in small heaps between 6 :00 a. m. and 10 :00 a. m. at specified distances from woodland, buildings, or other combustible material, and is attended at all times by an adult having extinguishing equipment, or (e) the burning takes place within the boundaries of an established camp site.*
*459Unless the evidence on a new trial should materially differ from that now before us, a factual issue would be presented as to whether Plummer violated section 1313, but a violation of section 1301 would be shown as a matter of law, since none of the three exceptions to the general prohibition against open fires would be applicable.
It is settled that, where a statute is intended to protect the class of persons in which the plaintiff is included against the risk of the type of harm he has sustained, a violation of the statute gives rise to a presumption of negligence which may be rebutted by evidence of justification or excuse. (Porter v. Montgomery Ward & Co., Inc., 48 Cal.2d 846, 849 [313 P.2d 854]; Satterlee v. Orange Glenn Sch. Dist., 29 Cal. 2d 581, 588 [177 P.2d 279].) While there is no claim of justification or excuse, defendants take the position that the ordinances were designed to protect against the spreading of fire and not against bodily injury suffered by one coming voluntarily into the area of danger, particularly if the one injured is a trespasser. It may be noted, however, that the portion of Ordinance No. 5520 relating to issuance of permits for open fires makes clear that the fire warden is to consider the prevention of the spreading of fire “or” the protection of public safety.
In our view, the reasonable construction to be given the ordinances is that they are intended to protect not only against the spreading of fire but against all perils which may arise from fires not properly started, controlled or extinguished, whether or not the danger materializes on the premises where the burning is done. The protection undoubtedly
*460extends to licensees on those premises, and there is no reason to conclude that it does not also extend to child trespassers to whom a duty of care is owed under the rule set forth in section 339 of the Restatement of Torts.  The person who is responsible for the burning is charged by the ordinances with knowledge that unreasonable risks of harm are presented by the contingencies sought to be prevented, including the dangers to trespassing children resulting from conditions not obvious to them. A violation of the ordinances would, absent a showing of justification or excuse, give rise to a presumption of negligence if the jury were to find against defendants on the questions regarding existence of a concealed risk and knowledge of use of the lot by children.
A presumption of negligence arising from burning by Plummer in violation of the ordinances could not form a basis of liability, of course, unless the violation proximately caused plaintiff’s injuries. There would be a question in this connection as to whether the accident resulted from the fire started by Plummer or a second fire assertedly lighted by his son.
The judgment is reversed.
Shenk, J., and Traynor, J., concurred.

Seetion 413 of the Restatement of Torts provides:
“One who employs an independent contractor to do work which the employer should recognize as necessarily creating during its progress, conditions containing an unreasonable risk of bodily harm to others unless special precautions are taken, is subject to liability for bodily harm caused to them by the absence of such precautions, if the employer (a) fails to provide in the contract that the contractor shall take such precautions (as to which see § 416), or (b) fails to exercise reasonable care to provide in some other manner for the taking of such precautions. ’ ’ Section 416 of the Restatement of Torts provides:
“One who employs an independent contractor to do work, which the employer should recognize as necessarily requiring the creation during *457its progress of a condition involving a peculiar risk of bodily harm to others unless special precautions are taken, is subject to liability for bodily harm caused to them by the failure of the contractor to exercise reasonable care to take such precautions.”

Section 1301 of Ordinance No. 5520 provides:
"Open Fires—hours of burning. A person shall not build, light, maintain, or cause or permit to be built, lighted or maintained, any open or outdoor fire, use, or cause or permit to be used, any fire for clearing land, *459burn or cause or permit to be burned, any brush, trash, rubbish, stubble, or other flammable or combustible material, unless:
“(a) He first secures from the County Fire Warden, State Forester, or a United States Forest Service officer having jurisdiction, a permit so to do, or
“(b) Such burning is in one or more small heaps or piles, where the fire is set in dooryard premises, corrals, gardens, or plowed fields, at a distance not less than five hundred (500) feet from any woodland, timber, or brush-covered land, or land containing dry grass or other flammable vegetation, and there is at least one adult person in actual attendance with water, garden hose, shovels or other fire extinguishing equipment on hand in charge of such fire at all times during its burning, and such burning is done not less than twenty-five (25) feet from buildings, structures, or other combustible material, and further that such burning is done only between the hours of 6:00 a. m. and 10:00 a. m. of the same day, or
“(e) Such burning is within the boundaries of any established camp site, as defined in Section 1316.”