In re Bridge Construction Services of Florida, Inc.

185 F. Supp. 3d 459, 2016 A.M.C. 1302, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 63411, 2016 WL 2755877
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. New York
DecidedMay 12, 2016
Docket12-cv-3536 (JGK), 12-cv-6285 (JGK), 13-cv-3123 (JGK)
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 185 F. Supp. 3d 459 (In re Bridge Construction Services of Florida, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
In re Bridge Construction Services of Florida, Inc., 185 F. Supp. 3d 459, 2016 A.M.C. 1302, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 63411, 2016 WL 2755877 (S.D.N.Y. 2016).

Opinion

OPINION AND ORDER

JOHN G. KOELTL, District Judge:

This case concerns an incident that occurred on December 15, 2010 when Jose Ayala (“Ayala”) fell off a barge at the Tappan Zee Bridge into the Hudson River. At that time, Tutor Perini Corporation (“Tutor Perini”) was the general contractor-on a project to rehabilitate the bridge. In order to perform the work, Tutor Perini chartered various barges from ■ Hughes Bros., Inc. (“Hughes”) that were used as floating work platforms. Various workers, including electricians, worked on the barges on which their tools, equipment, [462]*462and supplies were also stored. See generally Bridge Construction Services of Florida Trial Exhibits (“Bridge Trial Ex.”) 4, 5, 8, and 9. One of the barges that Tutor Perini chartered from Hughes was the HUGHES 660.

Tutor Perini entered into several subcontracts with various entities to perform work on the project. Tutor Perini entered into a subcontract with Bridge Construction Services of Florida, Inc. (“Bridge”) to provide, among other things, a tug and other boats needed for the project. Tutor Perini also entered into a subcontract with Tri-State Electrical (“Tri-State”) to provide electricians and materials that were needed on the project.

Pursuant to its subcontract with Tutor Perini (the “Tutor Perini-Bridge Subcontract”), Bridge provided a tug, the BRUCE RUSSELL, to be used in connection with work on the Tappan Zee Bridge project. On December 15, 2010, electricians from Tri-State were installing an electrical conduit along the Bridge and were working from the HUGHES 660 barge. The tug BRUCE RUSSELL was used to ferry the Tri-State electricians to the HUGHES 660 and then to move the HUGHES 660 beside the bridge so that the electricians could continue to install the electrical conduit along the bridge.

Ayala, a worker employed by Tutor Perini, was the sole deckhand on the HUGHES 660. At some point in the process of moving the HUGHES 660 along the Tappan Zee Bridge to a new position, Ayala fell into the river. Both Tutor Per-ini and Bridge claim that Ayala’s fall was due to the fault of the other party. Bridge claims that Tutor Perini was responsible for the fall because, among other reasons, Ayala slipped on the icy surface of the barge, Tutor Perini failed to keep the barge clear of ice, Ayala should have cleared the ice, and Ayala ignored his training and was not properly trained. Tutor Perini claims that Bridge is responsible for Ayala’s fall because the tug was under the command of an unlicensed captain who failed to maintain sufficient communication with Ayala and who was responsible for bumping the barge and causing Ayala’s fall.

Both Bridge and Tutor Perini have settled with Ayala and now seek indemnification from the other party. The Court held a non-jury trial from January 6, 2016 through January 12, 2016. Having reviewed the evidence and assessed the credibility of the witnesses, the Court makes the following Findings of Fact and reaches the following Conclusions of Law.

FINDINGS OF FACT

Background

1. In December 2010, the Tappan Zee Bridge which spans the Hudson River was undergoing renovations, and Tutor Perini was the general contractor responsible for the renovation project. See Joint PreTrial Order dated November 16, 2015, ECF Document No. 180, (“JPTO”), at 6.

2. In connection with the project, Tutor Perini entered into a bareboat charter with Hughes and leased from Hughes several barges including the HUGHES 660, the barge that was later involved in the incident in this case. See JPTO at 6. Upon signing the bareboat charter party agreement and taking possession of the barge, Tutor Perini became the de-facto owner of the barge and took over responsibility for the barge from Hughes. See Trial Transcript (“Tr.”) at 414-16; see also Hughes Bros./Tutor Perini’s Final Exhibit List (“Tutor Perini Trial Ex.”) B.

3. The barges were used as working platforms from which various contractors, including Tri-State electricians, performed [463]*463work on the Tappan Zee Bridge. See JPTO at 6.

4. Perini also hired Bridge, which supplied and operated a tugboat that would move the barges when needed. The tugboat, the BRUCE RUSSELL, was involved in the incident' in this case. See JPTO at 6; see also Tutor Perini Trial Ex. C.

5. The BRUCE RUSSELL was owned by non-party Workboat Services, Inc.,' and was operated by Kenny Kling (“Kling”), a Bridge employee. See JPTO at 6.

6. On December 15, 2010, while working on the Tappan Zee Bridge project, Ayala fell off the HUGHES 660 barge into the Hudson River. Ayala contends that he lost his footing when the barge was jolted by the BRUCE RUSSELL. See In re Bridge Const. Servs. of Florida, Inc., No. 12cv3536 (JGK), 2015 WL 6437562, at *1 (S.D.N.Y. Oct. 24, 2015) (“Bridge II”). Tutor Perini contends that Bridge was-responsible for the fall because the tug was operated by Kling, an unlicensed captain who failed to exercise reasonable care, including maintaining proper communications with Ayala when the tug was moving the barge. Bridge contends that Ayala’s fall was caused by the icy conditions on the barge and that Ayala, an employee of Tutor Perini, had the obligation to clear the ice but failed to do so.

7. Prior to the trial, Tutor Perini and Hughes settled Ayala’s claims against them for the total amount of $539,448.97. See Tutor Perini Trial Ex. F.

8. Prior to the trial, Bridge settled Ayala’s claims .against it for the total amount of $225,000.00. See Bridge Trial Ex. 28.

9. The total settlement amount that Ayala received for his claims against Hughes, Tutor Perini, and Bridge was $794,448.97.

10. These consolidated cases began with separate petitions for exoneration or limitation of liability by Bridge, Hughes, and Tutor Perini pursuant to 46 U.S.C. §§ 30501 et seq. The extensive procedural history of this case is detailed in the prior opinions of this Court, familiarity with which is assumed. See Bridge II, 2015 WL 6437562, at *1-2; In re Bridge Const. Servs. of Florida, Inc., 39 F.Supp.3d 373, 378-80 (S.D.N.Y.2014) (“Bridge I”). Now that all of the claims by Ayala have been settled, the remaining claims that were tried and remain to be decided are as follows: (1) Tutor Perini’s contractual indemnification claim against Bridge pursuant to Section 11.1 of the Tutor Perini- . Bridge Subcontract; (2) Bridge’s common law indemnification claim against Tutor Perini and Hughes; and (3) Bridge’s contractual indemnification claim against Tutor Perini based on Change Order No. 001 to the Tutor Perini-Bridge subcontract.

Tutor Perini-Bridge Subcontract

11. Tutor Perini and Bridge were parties to a Subcontract Agreement dated August 5, 2010. Tutor Perini Trial Ex. C. Under the Tutor Perini-Bridge subcontract, Bridge was required to provide a crew boat and a -twin diesel tug and licensed captains to work on the Tappan Zee Bridge project. See Tutor Perini Trial Ex. C (Schedule of- Payments); Tr. at 329. Bridge contracted to provide vessels to shift barges and/or equipment at the Tap-pan Zee Bridge project. See Tutor Perini Trial Ex. C; Tr. at 544.

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185 F. Supp. 3d 459, 2016 A.M.C. 1302, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 63411, 2016 WL 2755877, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-bridge-construction-services-of-florida-inc-nysd-2016.