Garrett v. Adcock Construction Co.

122 So. 3d 1134, 2013 La.App. 4 Cir. 0134, 2013 WL 4425128, 2013 La. App. LEXIS 1654
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedAugust 14, 2013
DocketNo. 2013-CA-0134
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 122 So. 3d 1134 (Garrett v. Adcock Construction Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Louisiana Court of Appeal primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Garrett v. Adcock Construction Co., 122 So. 3d 1134, 2013 La.App. 4 Cir. 0134, 2013 WL 4425128, 2013 La. App. LEXIS 1654 (La. Ct. App. 2013).

Opinions

DANIEL L. DYSART, Judge.

|,In this appeal, Jeffrey Garrett seeks review of the summary judgment granted on behalf of Adcock Construction Company (Adcock). For the following reasons, we affirm.

FACTUAL BACKGROUND:

Plaintiff filed a disputed claim for compensation with the Office of Workers’ Compensation alleging that he sustained an injury while working at the Astor Crowne Plaza Hotel (Hotel). He listed both the general contractor, Adcock, and the hotel owner, Prism Hotels & Resorts (Owner), as his employers.

Plaintiff, the owner of J & C Furniture Specialists, Inc. (J & C), entered into a contract on July 15, 2008, with Lisambiance Design, the interior decorating firm hired for the renovation job, to refinish armoires in the guest rooms. The contract between J & C and Lisambiance Design provided that the contract was for the first payment only, and that the contract would be assigned to Adcock after Adcock signed a contract with the owner of the Hotel.

On July 21, 2008, Adcock entered into an agreement with the Owner to renovate the Hotel. Michael Adcock, owner of Adcock, testified by affidavit that he has performed hotel renovations across the United States for twenty-five years. J^This was the first time that any furniture in a hotel was being restored rather than replaced outright. Adcock testified his company had never restored furniture before and that restoring furniture is not part of its busi[?]*?ness or necessary to the company’s ability to generate work. Adcock did not exercise control or approval over plaintiff, except to provide a room for him to perform refinishing work. No tools or materials were provided by Adcock. Adcock noted that Lisa Condon of Lisambiance Design, recommended J & C for the refinishing job, and that J & C was hired as the refinisher of the armoires prior to Adcock signing its contract to renovate the Hotel. However, the contract between Adcock and the Owner provided that Adcock would “manage the modifications and refinishing of the existing armoires.”

The renovations were performed floor by floor. On each floor, a room was designated for plaintiff to refinish the armoires. Because plaintiff utilized chemicals to refinish the armoires, the rooms required ventilation. However, because the windows in the Hotel were not operational, a window in each room in which plaintiff worked was broken. During the course of the renovations to the Hotel, plaintiff broke a window to provide ventilation and suffered a laceration, which required several surgeries.

In his affidavit in support of the opposition to the summary judgment, plaintiff testified that he initially dealt with Lisam-biance Design, but he was informed in writing that his contract with Lisambiance Design had been assigned to Adcock.1 Plaintiff stated that he reported to and billed all invoices to Adcock |-¡during the Hotel renovation. Plaintiff claimed that all of his personal dealings were with Mr. Adcock or Adcock employees. Plaintiff attested that there were no written contracts between him and Lisambiance Design or between him and Adcock Construction.2 Plaintiff explained that Adcock employees assisted him in preparing his work site, including breaking windows and moving the armoires, and that Adcock provided dumpsters for use by J & C.

Adcock filed a motion for summary judgment arguing that Mr. Garrett was not its employee and not entitled to recovery under the Workers’ Compensation Act.3 Plaintiff opposed the motion, arguing that he was an employee at the time of the accident. Alternatively, plaintiff submitted that he was a borrowed employee, a statutory employee, or an independent contractor engaged in manual labor. Thus, plaintiff concluded that he was entitled to recovery under the Act. After a hearing and a consideration of the record, the Office of Workers’ Compensation determined that Adcock lacked control over J & C and granted the motion for summary judgment filed by Adcock. Mr. Garrett’s timely appeal followed.

STANDARD OF REVIEW:

This Court has consistently noted that the standard of review on a motion for summary judgment is as follows:

Favored in Louisiana, the summary judgment procedure is designed to secure the just, speedy, and inexpensive determination of every action’ and shall be construed to accomplish these ends. [1138]*1138An appellate court ■ reviews a district court’s decision granting summary judgment de novo, using the same standard applied by the trial court in deciding the motion for summary judgment. Under this standard, summary judgment shall be granted if the pleadings, depositions, answers to interrogatories, and admissions on file, together with the Laffidavits, if any, show that there is no genuine issue as to material fact and that the mover is entitled to judgment as a matter of law.

Steinfelds v. Villarubia, 10-0975, p. 4 (La.App. 4 Cir. 12/15/10), 53 So.3d 1275, 1278-1279, quoting Lingoni v. Hibernia Nat’l Bank, 09-0737, pp. 4-5 (La.App. 4 Cir. 3/3/10), 33.So.3d 372, 375.

DISCUSSION:

Plaintiff argues that the contract between Adcock and the Owner provided that Adcock, would manage the refinishing of the armoires and,. therefore, the language of the contract created a factual issue as to whether Adcock had control over him. This issue of fact precluded the granting of summary judgment. He notes that the trial court determined that Ad-cock lacked control over plaintiff without testimony. Alternatively, plaintiff argues that he is entitled to workers’ compensation benefits as a borrowed servant or an independent contractor engaged in manual labor.

Generally, an employee’s exclusive remedy against his employer for an on-the-job injury is workers’ compensation. La. R.S. 23:1032. “A person rendering service for another in any trades, businesses or occupations covered by. this Chapter is presumed to be an employee under this Chapter.” La. R.S. 23:1044.

The statutory presumption contained in La. R.S. 23:1044 is based on the employer/employee relationship, “the essence of [which] is the right to control.” Hillman v. Comm-Care, Inc., 01-1140, p. 8 (La.1/15/02), 805 So.2d 1157, 1162. Four factors evidencing the right to control are: 1) selection and engagement; 2) payment of wages; 3) power of dismissal; and, 4) power of control. Id. No one factor dominates. Instead, the totality of the circumstances must be considered. | ¡¡Further, the burden of proof is on the party seeking to establish an employer/employee relationship. Id., 01-1140, p. 9, 805 So.2d at 1163.

In reviewing the factors evidencing the right to control, we note that the only written document evidencing the selection and engagement of J & C is the contract between J & C and Lisambiance Design dated July 15, 2008. Adcock entered into a contract with the Owner on July 21, 2008, after the signing of the contract between J & C and Lisambiance Design. Thus, Adcock did not select and hire J & C.

Adcock paid the invoices submitted by J & C for the work performed by plaintiff, then received reimbursement, without any mark-up for administration (as is the industry custom), from the Owner. There is no evidence that Adcock paid wages directly to plaintiff.

There is no evidence that Adcock possessed the power to dismiss plaintiff.

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Bluebook (online)
122 So. 3d 1134, 2013 La.App. 4 Cir. 0134, 2013 WL 4425128, 2013 La. App. LEXIS 1654, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/garrett-v-adcock-construction-co-lactapp-2013.