Denison v. Haeber Roofing Co.

767 S.W.2d 862, 1989 Tex. App. LEXIS 478, 1989 WL 19759
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedMarch 9, 1989
Docket13-88-180-CV
StatusPublished
Cited by35 cases

This text of 767 S.W.2d 862 (Denison v. Haeber Roofing Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Denison v. Haeber Roofing Co., 767 S.W.2d 862, 1989 Tex. App. LEXIS 478, 1989 WL 19759 (Tex. Ct. App. 1989).

Opinion

OPINION

SEERDEN, Justice.

Appellant, a temporary worker who ap-pellee hired from a temporary employment agency, sued appellee for alleged negligence resulting in appellant’s falling through a roof and sustaining serious injuries. Insurance Company of North America filed a petition in intervention, alleging that it paid appellant worker’s compensation and was entitled to reimbursement from appellee. [The trial court granted summary judgment for appellee on March *864 14, 1988. Appellant filed a motion to clarify the judgment on April 20,1988, pointing out that since the judgment did not dispose of the intervenor’s claim, it was not final and appealable. See Cherokee Water Co. v. Ross, 698 S.W.2d 368, 365 (Tex.1985).] On April 28, 1988, the court signed an order granting appellee summary judgment and dismissing appellant’s and the inter-venor’s causes of action with prejudice. The intervenor has not appealed. We affirm the trial court’s judgment.

The burden is on the movant to show entitlement to judgment as a matter of law. MMP, Ltd. v. Jones, 710 S.W.2d 59, 60 (Tex.1986). A defendant moving for summary judgment assumes the burden of showing as a matter of law that the plaintiff has no cause of action against him. Citizens First National Bank v. Cinco Exploration Co., 540 S.W.2d 292, 294 (Tex.1976). The defendant must show that an essential element of the plaintiff’s cause does not exist, or he must establish his affirmative defense as a matter of law. Rosas v. Buddies Food Store, 518 S.W.2d 534, 537 (Tex.1975). However, the nonmov-ant must expressly present to the trial court its reasons to avoid the movant’s entitlement, and he must present summary judgment proof when necessary to establish a fact issue. Westland Oil Development Corp. v. Gulf Oil Corp., 637 S.W.2d 903, 907 (Tex.1982); City of Houston v. Clear Creek Basin Authority, 589 S.W.2d 671, 678 (Tex.1979). Bringing fact issues to the attention of the trial court is a predicate to relying on those issues on appeal as grounds for reversal. Miller v. Soliz, 648 S.W.2d 734, 737-38 (Tex.App.—Corpus Christi 1983, no writ).

In deciding whether a disputed material fact issue precludes summary judgment, every reasonable inference is indulged in favor of the nonmovant. Wilcox v. St. Mary’s University, 531 S.W.2d 589, 593 (Tex.1975). However, the nonmovant must present competent summary judgment proof to establish a question of material fact. Pleadings do not constitute summary judgment proof and, independent of the pleadings, the summary judgment proof must be in the form of admissions, affidavits, depositions and the like. Hidalgo v. Surety Savings and Loan Association, 462 S.W.2d 540, 545 (Tex.1971); Shouse v. Annuity Board, 663 S.W.2d 163, 164 (Tex.App.—Corpus Christi 1983, no writ).

Appellee’s motion for summary judgment asserts that appellee was its “borrowed servant,” that it is a workers compensation subscriber, and that, therefore, it is not liable to appellee, citing Process Engineering Co. v. Rosson, 287 S.W.2d 511, 512-13 (Tex.Civ.App.—Galveston 1956, no writ). Attached to the motion was the affidavit of appellee’s president, stating that appellant was, at all times in question, under the direction and control of its foreman, that it supplied all tools and equipment, and that it was a subscriber under Texas workers compensation laws. After appellant’s response, appellee supplemented his summary judgment motion, attaching portions of appellant’s deposition relating to the borrowed servant issue and an additional affidavit of appellee’s president stating that there was no written contract between appellee and the temporary employment agency.

By two points of error, appellant claims to have raised a fact issue on whether appellant was appellee’s “borrowed servant.” By point one, he asserts that he showed that appellant received workers compensation benefits from the temporary employment agency rather than through appellee, and by point two, he contends that he showed that appellee refused to accept employer responsibility for appellant at the time of injury.

Texas courts recognize that a general employee of one employer may become the borrowed servant of another. Sparger v. Worley Hospital, Inc., 547 S.W.2d 582, 583 (Tex.1977); Carr v. Carroll Co., 646 S.W.2d 561, 563 (Tex.App.—Dallas 1982, writ ref’d n.r.e.). The doctrine protects the employer who had the right of control from common-law liability. Carr, 646 S.W.2d at 563. The central inquiry becomes which employer had the right of control of the details and manner of the *865 work. If the general employer controls the manner of an employee’s performing services, the general employer remains liable, but if the employee is placed under another employer’s control in the manner of performing services, the employee becomes the borrowed servant of that employer. See Producers Chemical Co. v. McKay, 366 S.W.2d 220, 225 (Tex.1963).

When the right of control is not expressed in the contract between the employers, it is inferred from such facts and circumstances as the nature of the general project, the nature of the work to be performed by the machinery and employees furnished, length of the special employment, the type of machinery furnished, acts representing an exercise of actual control, the right to substitute another operator of the machine, etc. Producers Chemical, 366 S.W.2d at 226; Carr, 646 S.W.2d at 565.

Appellee urges us to consider defects in appellant’s summary judgment proof. Specifically, it asserts that the document on which appellant relies to show that the temporary service’s workers compensation insurer paid appellant is neither sworn nor certified and contains hearsay. Our examination of appellee’s response reveals that these defects were not specifically pointed out below by objection with opportunity to amend. Thus, these defects cannot be considered by this Court. Tex.R.Civ.P. 166a(e); see Dolenz v. A- B-,

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