Fresquez v. Southwestern Industrial Contractors & Riggers, Inc.

554 P.2d 986, 89 N.M. 525
CourtNew Mexico Court of Appeals
DecidedSeptember 14, 1976
Docket2444
StatusPublished
Cited by29 cases

This text of 554 P.2d 986 (Fresquez v. Southwestern Industrial Contractors & Riggers, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering New Mexico Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Fresquez v. Southwestern Industrial Contractors & Riggers, Inc., 554 P.2d 986, 89 N.M. 525 (N.M. Ct. App. 1976).

Opinion

OPINION

WOOD, Chief Judge.

Bradbury (Bradbury and Stamm Construction Co., a corporation) was the general contractor for the construction of a school. Turzillo (Lee Turzillo Contracting Co.) was a subcontractor engaged in drill-, ing and setting pilings for the foundation. Turzillo performed this work by means of an auger cast system. The auger drilled a hole to a predetermined depth; concrete or grout was pumped into the hole. Turzillo rented a crane from Southwestern (Southwestern Industrial Contractors and Riggers, Inc). The crane was used to position, raise, lower and stabilize Turzillo’s equipment. Fresquez (Juan A. Fresquez, deceased) was employed by Turzillo as a laborer; he cleared material away from the auger. A piece of the stabilizing equipment broke, fell, struck and killed Fresquez. The administratrix seeks damages for the death from Southwestern and Bradbury. General Accident Fire and Life Assurance Corporation, Ltd., was the workmen’s compensation insurer of Turzillo and seeks reimbursement of the compensation paid in connection with Fresquez’ death.

The trial court granted summary judgment in favor of both defendants; plaintiffs appeal. The issues concerning the claim against Southwestern involve: (1) the special employee doctrine; (2) alleged negligence of Southwestern independent of negligence of the crane operator; and (3) res ipsa loquitur. The issues concerning the claim against Bradbury involve: (4) alleged negligence of subcontractor attributable to Bradbury, and (5) failure of Bradbury to provide Fresquez a safe place to work.

Special Employee Doctrine

Barlow was the crane operator. His general employer was Southwestern. When Turzillo rented the crane from Southwestern, Barlow came along with the crane. Southwestern did not rent a crane without providing an operator. Turzillo paid for the crane and operator as one lump-sum.

Barlow performed “work as directed” by Turzillo. The uncontradicted showing was that Barlow did in fact work as directed. Turzillo’s employees told Barlow where to locate the crane and when and where to use the crane. Turzillo’s employees controlled the operation of the crane in positioning the auger and in raising or lowering the boom of the crane. Turzillo determined Barlow’s hours of work and could run Barlow off the job if dissatisfied with Barlow’s work. The uncontradicted showing is that Turzillo not only controlled, but had the right to control Barlow in the work being performed. It is also uncontradicted that the crane, and its operation, became an integral part of Turzillo’s work in drilling and setting pilings.

On the basis of this showing, the trial court granted summary judgment in favor of Southwestern, ruling “as a matter of law that William Barlow was a special employee of Lee Turzillo Contracting Company in the performance of his duties at the time of the accident”.

If the above showing covered all of Barlow’s duties, we would agree that Barlow was a special employee of Turzillo and any negligence on Barlow’s part could not be charged to Southwestern. See Shipman v. Macco Corporation, 74 N.M. 174, 392 P.2d 9 (1964); Huff v. Dunaway, 63 N.M. 121, 314 P.2d 722 (1957); Dunham v. Walker, 60 N.M. 143, 288 P.2d 684 (1955). For crane cases, see Truitt v. B & G Crane Service, Inc., 165 So.2d 874 (La.App.1964); Kessler v. Bates & Rogers Const. Co., 155 Neb. 40, 50 N.W.2d 553 (1951).

The above showing does not cover Barlow’s duties in connection with the safety of crane operation. We consider safety matters in the light of whose work was being performed and who had the right to control that work. Yerbich v. Heald, 89 N.M. 67, 547 P.2d 72 (Ct.App.1976).

Pipe frame leads are used in the operation of the auger. “The leads is what the auger and gearbox that make and place the pile run up and down.” The rotation of the auger would cause the leads to twist around. A torque arm was used to steady the leads and prevent them from rotating. The safety matters with which we are concerned involve the torque arm.

The torque arm was a piece of pipe. It extended from the leads to the boom of the crane, and beyond. One end of the pipe was connected to the leads. A sleeve was connected to the boom of the crane. The pipe went through the sleeve, was held up by the sleeve and would travel in the sleeve when the boom of the crane was moved. A pin at the end of the pipe kept the pipe from coming out of the sleeve. When in place, the pipe was roughly horizontal and somewhere between 25 and 40 feet above the ground. Safety cables were employed in two places: (1) the connection of the pipe to the leads, and (2) the connection of the sleeve to the boom of the crane.

The auger was coming out of the hole and concrete or grout was being pumped into the hole as the auger came out. The boom of the crane was not in motion; Barlow was awaiting a signal from Turzillo’s employees to move the boom. The pipe of the torque arm extended somewhere between 10 to 20 feet beyond the end of the sleeve. The pipe broke just beyond the end of the sleeve, fell and killed Fresquez.

Deposition testimony is to the effect that a chain or cable would have kept the broken piece of pipe from falling. After the accident, Barlow was involved with Turzillo in replacing the torque arm. The setup was as before. However, the new arm (or pipe) was placed much closer to the ground and Barlow “put the safety through it.”

Whose work was .involved in these safety matters and who had the right to control the safety matters? The showing on this involves three items. 1. There is a showing that Turzillo personnel were not allowed to operate the crane and that Southwestern left the operation of the crane up to its personnel. If the crane operator “doesn’t feel it’s safe to operate, he can stop it.” There is a showing that Barlow complained that the setup with the torque arm was unsafe several days before the accident. 2. There is a showing that if the operator of the crane felt a dangerous condition existed, he would first go to the foreman of the company renting the crane and if the operator “didn’t receive satisfaction” at that point, the operator was to report to Southwestern. There is a showing that Barlow complained of the torque arm setup to Turzillo but obtained no satisfaction. Barlow did not report the matter to Southwestern. 3. There is a showing that Barlow had full authority to say “Yes” or “No” to attaching anything to the crane. There is a showing that Barlow never inspected the torque arm setup (which Turzillo installed) before the accident.

Admittedly, the showing in the above three items is contradicted. However, it is not the function of the trial court to weigh evidence in summary judgment proceedings. Johnson v. J. S. & H. Construction Co., 81 N.M. 42, 462 P.2d 627 (Ct.App.1969).

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Bluebook (online)
554 P.2d 986, 89 N.M. 525, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/fresquez-v-southwestern-industrial-contractors-riggers-inc-nmctapp-1976.