Illinois Bulk Carrier, Inc. v. Jackson Ex Rel. Jackson

908 N.E.2d 248, 2009 Ind. App. LEXIS 900, 2009 WL 1674967
CourtIndiana Court of Appeals
DecidedJune 16, 2009
Docket45A03-0808-CV-408
StatusPublished
Cited by33 cases

This text of 908 N.E.2d 248 (Illinois Bulk Carrier, Inc. v. Jackson Ex Rel. Jackson) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Indiana Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Illinois Bulk Carrier, Inc. v. Jackson Ex Rel. Jackson, 908 N.E.2d 248, 2009 Ind. App. LEXIS 900, 2009 WL 1674967 (Ind. Ct. App. 2009).

Opinions

OPINION

CRONE, Judge.

Case Summary

Illinois Bulk Carrier, Inc. ("IBC"), and Illiana Disposal Partnership, doing business as Allied Waste Services of Northwest Indiana ("Allied Waste") (collectively "Appellants"), bring this interlocutory appeal of the denial of their summary judgment motions on the personal injury complaint filed against them by Robert W. Jackson and Daniel Jackson, minors, by their next friends Robert D. Jackson and Margie Jackson; Suzanna R. Postma and Jolene Postma, minors, by their next friends Jeff Postma and Tina Postma; Jeff Postma; Tina Postma (collectively "Appel-lees"); and Kirk Shule.1 We reverse.

Issues

T. Whether Allied Waste and IBC have demonstrated that as a matter of law neither is liable for the negligence of Wireman Trucking & Excavating, Inc. ("Wireman"), and its employee, Allan Irvine, under the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations; and
[252]*252II. Whether Allied Waste and IBC have demonstrated that as a matter of law neither is liable for the negligence of Wireman and its employee, Irvine, under Indiana common law.

Facts and Procedural History

This case arises out of an October 26, 2005, multi-vehicle accident that occurred on State Road 231 in Crown Point, in which Robert and Daniel Jackson and Su-zanna, Jolene, and Tina Postma were injured. A truck involved in this accident was owned by Wireman, a federally registered motor carrier, and was driven by Wireman's employee, Irvine.

Wireman is linked to Appellants, Allied Waste and IBC, as follows: On the day of the accident, Allied Waste, a federally registered motor carrier, had a written purchase order ("the Purchase Order") with Ispat-Inland, Inc., now known as Mittal Steel USA, Inc. ("Mittal"), to remove and dispose of Mittal's waste. Under the Purchase Order, Allied Waste was required to provide appropriately permitted, licensed, and insured transport haulers. Allied Waste itself transported the non-bulk, high-volume waste, such as wood, asbestos, trash, and back house filters from Mittal's operations in East Chicago to Allied Waste's Newton County landfill in Brook. However, Allied Waste subcontracted for the removal of high volume bulk waste such as filter cake, commonly referred to as "sludge." 2 One such subcontractor was IBC, also a federally registered motor carrier, with whom Allied Waste had an oral agreement to pay IBC on a per-ton basis to haul as much material as it could. In turn, IBC subcontracted to various motor carriers, including Wireman. There was no written agreement between IBC and Wireman.

On October 26, 2005, pursuant to the oral agreement between IBC and Wire-man, Wireman was engaged in hauling a load of Mittal's sludge to the Newton County landfill. While hauling the sludge to the landfill, Wireman's employee, Irvine, was involved in the aforementioned multi-vehicle accident.

Appellees filed separate complaints against Appellants between June 16, 2006, and November 30, 2007, and the cases were consolidated on November 7, 2007. In their complaints, Appellees alleged that Allied Waste and IBC were negligent in (1) hiring transport vehicles with improper permits, licenses, and insurance to haul the sludge; (2) failing to ensure that transport vehicles were driven by competent and properly licensed drivers; (8) failing to require transport vehicles to have been properly maintained; and (4) failing to require drivers to file certificates of insurance. Appellants' App. at 25, 30, 80, 85. Appellees also alleged that Allied Waste was negligent in failing to adhere to the requirements of the Purchase Order and that IBC was negligent in failing to supervise its contractual responsibilities. Id.

On January 15, 2008, Allied Waste and IBC each filed motions for summary judgment.3 Allied Waste asserted that Appel-lees had no rights under the Purchase Order; Allied Waste had no control over Irvine's activities; Irvine was not a borrowed servant of Allied Waste; Appellees are not third-party beneficiaries to the Purchase Order; and there was no ques[253]*253tion of fact supporting a theory that Allied Waste was negligent in hiring IBC. Id. at 173-180. IBC asserted that it was not liable for Wireman's negligence because Wireman was an independent contractor for IBC; Irvine was not a borrowed servant of IBC; IBC was not charged with a non-delegable duty; and Appellees are not third-party beneficiaries to the Purchase Order. Id. at 192-204.

Appellees filed a response to Appellants' motions for summary judgment, in which they asserted two bases for Appellants' liability: (1) Wireman was the statutory employee of Appellants, and therefore Appellants are vicariously liable for the personal injuries resulting from Wireman's negligence; and (2) Appellants are liable for the personal injuries caused by Wire-man based upon the second and fourth exceptions to the general rule of nonliability of a principal for the negligence of an independent contractor. Id. at 495, 498.

._ Following a hearing, on May 15, 2008, the trial court issued its order denying Allied Waste's and IBC's motions for summary judgment. This interlocutory appeal ensued.

Discussion and Decision

Standard of Review

On appeal from a grant or denial of summary judgment, this Court applies the same legal standard as the trial court, ie., summary judgment is appropriate when no designated genuine issues of material fact exist and the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. Winchell v. Guy, 857 N.E.2d 1024, 1026 (Ind.Ct.App.2006). Our review is limited to those materials designated to the trial court. Pond v. McNellis, 845 N.E.2d 10483, 1053 (Ind.Ct.App.2006), trans. de-mied. All facts and reasonable inferences drawn therefrom are construed in favor of the non-movant. Id. "A party appealing the denial of summary judgment carries the burden of persuading this court that the trial court's decision was erroneous." Ind. Ins. Co. v. Am. Cmty. Servs., Inc., 718 N.E.2d 1147, 1152 (Ind.Ct.App.1999). The movant must demonstrate the absence of any genuine issue of fact as to a determinative issue, and only then is the non-movant required to come forward with contrary evidence. Id. (citing Jarboe v. Landmark Cmty. Newspapers of Ind., Inc., 644 N.E.2d 118, 123 (Ind.1994)). "We will affirm the denial of summary judgment if it is sustainable on any legal theory or basis found in the evidentiary matter designated to the trial court." W. Amer. Ins. Co. v. Cates, 865 N.E.2d 1016, 1020 (Ind.Ct.App.2007), trans. denied.

Here, Appellees' claims against Appellants sound in negligence. To prevail on a theory of negligence, a plaintiff must prove: (1) that the defendant owed plaintiff a duty; (2) that it breached the duty; and (8) that plaintiffs injury was proximately caused by the breach. Dennis v. Greyhound Lines, Inc., 831 N.E.2d 171, 173 (Ind.Ct.App.2005), trans. denied. Summary judgment is rarely appropriate in negligence cases because they are particularly fact sensitive and are governed by a standard of the objective reasonable person, which is best applied by a jury after hearing all the evidence. Rhodes v. Wright, 805 N.E.2d 382, 387 (Ind.2004).

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
908 N.E.2d 248, 2009 Ind. App. LEXIS 900, 2009 WL 1674967, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/illinois-bulk-carrier-inc-v-jackson-ex-rel-jackson-indctapp-2009.