Joeris General Contractors, Ltd. v. Cumpian

531 S.W.3d 187
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedDecember 21, 2016
DocketNo. 04-15-00481-CV
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 531 S.W.3d 187 (Joeris General Contractors, Ltd. v. Cumpian) 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
Joeris General Contractors, Ltd. v. Cumpian, 531 S.W.3d 187 (Tex. Ct. App. 2016).

Opinions

OPINION

Jason Pulliam, Justice

Introduction

This appeal arises from an action brought against Joeris General Contractors, Ltd. (Joeris) by Rolando Cumpian, an employee of an independent contractor who was injured on a job site. Cumpian sued Joeris for negligence and gross negligence alleging Joeris failed to reasonably enforce its safety regulations and failed to protect Cumpian by allowing his co-worker, someone known to have violated safety regulations in the past, on the jobsite. A jury found in favor of Cumpian and awarded actual and exemplary damages.

We conclude, as a matter of law, Joeris did not incur the narrow duty to Cumpian recognized by the Texas Supreme Court in Hoechst-Celanese Corp. v. Mendez based upon Joeris’s right to control the promulgation and enforcement of safety regulations. Joeris’s knowledge of an independent contractor’s -safety violations in the past did not trigger the exception to the well-established rule that a general contractor has no duty to ensure an independent contractor safely performs its work. In addition, Joeris’s limited discussion regarding the priority of work to be completed did not trigger this exception. Because Joeris held no duty as a matter of law, the jury finding that Joeris was negligent was [190]*190in error. -Accordingly, we reverse the trial court’s judgment and render- a take-nothing judgment in favor of Joeris,. '

Background

Northside Independent School District (NISD) hired Joeris to be the general contractor for construction of Dr, Folks Middle School. Joeris contracted with an independent contractor Leal Welding & Erection (Leal Welding) to' conduct steel erection necessary for construction of the project. Plaintiff Cumpian was an employee of Leal Welding,

On May 29, 2012, Cumpian and his coworker Armando Gonzalez were on the jobsite installing the last of several steel staircase frames. Leal Welding had. previously used a crane to move, and install the staircase frames; however, on this day, the crane was not on the job. site. Instead, Gonzalez used a forklift to install the final staircase frame and attempted to secure the staircase frame to the forklift by using nylon straps. After a failed attempt and strap adjustment, Gonzalez again attempted to lift the staircase frame with .the forklift, when it fell from the forklift and landed on Cumpian’s foot. Cumpian’s foot was crushed and required two surgeries over the course of a two-week hospitalization, Eventually, Cumpian’s injuries necessitated amputation of the toes on his left foot.

Cumpian brought suit against J.oeris asserting causes of action for negligence and gross negligence. Cumpian sought exemplary damages. Joeris designated Leal Welding as a responsible third party and moved for a bifurcated trial of any exemplary damages.

In his petition, Cumpian asserted a negligent-activity cause of action, Cumpian lists thirteen acts or omissions of Joeris which he contends support this cause of action. These thirteen acts or omissions fall within two general allegation categories: (1) Joeris failed to keep the jobsite safe by failing to properly ensure all work was performed pursuant to federal and company safety regulations; and (2) Joeris failed to keep the jobsite, safe by “hiring and utilizing” Gonzalez when it knew of his previous safety violations on other jobsites but failed to monitor.and supervise his actions. , ,

The case proceeded to a nine-day trial. Cumpian plead and presented his negligence allegations under a negligent-activity theory; not a premises-defect theory, and jury questions were submitted to the jury on only a negligent-activity theory. The jury returned a -verdict finding Joeris and Leal Welding were negligent, apportioning 80% of fault to Joeris and 20% of fault to Leal Welding: The jury determined Cumpian was not negligent. The jury assessed damages as well as exemplary damages based upon determination that Joeris was grossly negligent.

The trial court denied Joeris’s motion for judgment notwithstanding the. verdict (JNOV) and motion for new trial. Joeris perfected this appeal.

Analysis

Joeris appeals the trial court’s judgment arguing: (1) the record does not support liability based upon a general negligence theory because the undisputed evidence shows Joeris did not control Leal Welding’s work, and Joeris was not aware of Cumpian or Gonzalez’s injury-causing activity, and therefore, Joeris owed no duty to Cumpian; (2) the evidence conclusively shows Cumpian and Gonzalez were the only negligent parties who caused the injury; (3) Cumpian’s only viable cause of action was a premise-defect theory, not the submitted negligent-activity theory, and therefore, Cumpian waived the premises-[191]*191defect claim by failing to plead and present it; (4) alternatively, Casteel error-'in the submission of two jury questions mandates reversal; (5) Chapter 95 of the Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code precludes liability; (6) the individual and cumulative effect of the trial court’s harmful evidentia-ry errors mandates new. trial; (7) the trial court erred by awarding exemplary damages; and (8) the trial court erred by allowing unsupported and inaccurate jury argument on Joeris’s net worth. ■

We begin our analysis with the first argument, i.e. whether Joeris held a duty as a matter of law, because it is a disposi-tive issue'.1

Whether Joeris held a duty as a matter of law

Applicable Law

To prevail on a general negligence cause of action based in any theory of liability, a plaintiff must prove three essential elements; the existence of a legal duty, breach of that duty, and damages proximately caused by the breach. IHS Cedars Treatment Ctr. of DeSoto, Tex., Inc. v. Mason, 143 S.W.3d 794, 798 (Tex. 2004). The threshold inquiry is the existence of a duty, which is a question of law for the courts to decide from the essential, undisputed facts surrounding the occurrence in question. Nabors Drilling, U.S.A., Inc. v. Escoto, 288 S.W.3d 401, 404 (Tex. 2009); see also Sanders v. Herold, 217 S.W.3d 11, 15 (Tex. App.-Houston [1st Dist.] 2006, no pet.). The existence of duty is also a question of Taw when the evidence conclusively establishes the pertinent' facts or when reasonable inferences can be drawn from those facts, as in this case. See Bennett v. Span Indus., Inc., 628 S.W.2d 470, 474 (Tex. App.-Texarkana 1981, writ ref'd n.r.e.); City of Alton v. Sharyland Water Supply Corp., 402 S.W.3d 867, 875 (Tex. App.-Corpus Christi 2013, pet. denied). In such instances, appellate courts review de novo a determination regarding whether a legal duty is owed. Nabors Drilling, 288 S.W.3d at 404; Alcoa, Inc. v. Behringer, 235 S.W.3d 456, 459 (Tex. App.-Dallas 2007, pet. denied).

In a, suit brought under ■ the premises-liability umbrella of negligence (either negligent-activity, or, premises-defect), ordinarily, a general contractor holds no duty to prevent harm to others absent certain special relationships or ; circumstances. Torrington Co. v. Stutzman, 46 S.W.3d 829, 837 (Tex. 2000).

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