McSweeney v. Sears Development Co.

12 Mass. L. Rptr. 217
CourtMassachusetts Superior Court
DecidedSeptember 19, 2000
DocketNo. CA9702282F
StatusPublished

This text of 12 Mass. L. Rptr. 217 (McSweeney v. Sears Development Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Massachusetts Superior Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
McSweeney v. Sears Development Co., 12 Mass. L. Rptr. 217 (Mass. Ct. App. 2000).

Opinion

Smith, J.

This is a personal injury action1 in which the plaintiff (“Ms. McSweeney”) seeks to recover damages for personal injuries as a result of her tripping while walking in the parking garage of defendant Sears Development Company, formerly known as Homart Development Company (“Sears” or “Homart”). Also named as defendants are the general contractor, R.W. Granger & Sons, Inc. (“Granger”) and two subcontractors, Northeast Concrete Products (“Northeast”) and Harry S. Peterson (“Peterson”). Defendant Granger subsequently filed a third-party complaint against co-defendant Northeast. Granger now moves for summary judgment against third-party defendant, Northeast, pursuant to Mass.R.Civ.P. 56. For the reasons discussed below, Granger’s motion is ALLOWED in part and DENIED in part.

FACTS

The summary judgment record and affidavits, viewed in the light most favorable to Northeast and Ms. McSweeney, the non-moving parties, reveal the following undisputed facts.

Homart, the developer of the Natick Mall, retained the defendant Granger as the design build contractor for all of the parking garages located around the Natick Mall. On January 15, 1993, Granger subcontracted with Third-Party defendant Northeast to manufacture/fabricate the parking garage. The subcontract agreement (“Agreement”) contained an indemnity clause pursuant to G.L.c. 149, §29C.

Northeast subcontracted with defendant Concrete Structures, Inc. (“Concrete Structures”) to erect the garage. Concrete Structures hired two subcontractors, Hallamore Corporation (“Hallamore”) and Alger Construction (“Alger”) in order to erect the pieces of the garage together. It took Concrete Structures approximately one year to erect the garages for the mall.

In the Rider to the Agreement, also dated January 15, 1993, Granger stipulated that the sealant work for the parking garage construction must meet certain conditions. The Agreement indicated that the parties agreed that the sealant would be of a type manufactured by Harry S. Peterson Company (“Peterson”). Northeast complied with Granger’s stipulation by sub-subcontracting with Peterson to do the caulking work. Upon completion of the caulking, the parties to the construction contracts had the garage examined and signed off from the project.

On December 19, 1994, plaintiff Edna McSweeney was walking from her car on the third level of the parking garage outside of the Sears Department Store at the Natick Mall. While walking from her car to the mall entrance, Ms. McSweeney alleges that she tripped and fell on an uneven portion of the parking surface.

Granger alleges that Northeast was its subcontractor responsible for the construction of the part of the parking garage responsible for Edna’s fall. Granger claims that it is entitled to summary judgment against Defendant Northeast because it has a right to indemnification from Northeast, pursuant to Clause 5.2 in Granger’s subcontract agreement with Northeast. Second, Granger argues that even if it owed a duty of care to the plaintiff, Northeast has a duty to defend Granger under the indemnity clause. Northeast claims that the indemnification clause is void as a matter of law because it violates G.L.c. 149, §29C and that any grant of summary judgment on the duty to defend issue is premature because disputes of material fact exist as to the cause of the fall and liability. For the reasons stated below, the Court finds that the indemnification provision in the Agreement with Northeast is valid and [218]*218in compliance with G.L.c. 149, §129C but that material questions of fact exist as to the underlying liability for the alleged tort. Consequently, Granger’s motion for summary judgment is Denied in part and Allowed in part.

DISCUSSION

Summary judgment shall be granted where there are no genuine issues as to any material fact and where the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. Cassesso v. Commissioner of Correction, 390 Mass. 419, 422 (1983); Community Nat’l Bank v. Dawes 369 Mass. 550, 553 (1976); Mass.R.Civ.P. 56(c). The moving party bears the burden of affirmatively demonstrating the absence of a triable issue, “and [further] that the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law.” Pederson v. Time, Inc., 404 Mass. 14, 16-17 (1989). A party moving for summary judgment who does not have the burden of proof at trial may demonstrate the absence of a triable issue either by submitting affirmative evidence that negates an essential element of the opponent’s case, or “by demonstrating that proof of that element is unlikely to be forthcoming at trial.” Flesner v. Technical Communications Corp., 410 Mass. 805, 809 (1991); accord, Kourouvacilis v. General Motors Corp., 410 Mass. 706, 716 (1991). “If the moving party establishes the absence of a.triable issue, the party opposing the motion must respond and allege specific facts which would establish the existence of a genuine issue of material fact in order to defeat [the] motion.” Pederson, supra. 404 Mass, at 17. “(T]he opposing party cannot rest on his or her pleadings and mere assertions of disputed facts to defeat the motion for summary judgment.” LaLonde v. Eissner 405 Mass. 207, 209 (1989).

Granger argues that summary judgment is appropriate as to Northeast’s duty to indemnity and duty to defend Granger in Edna’s cause of action against Granger and others. The claims are considered in that order.

A. Validity of Article 5, §5.2, the Indemnification Clause

Granger argues that its indemnity provision in the Agreement is valid under G.L.c. 149, §29C. General Laws Chapter 149, §29C provides in pertinent part: “Any provision for or in connection with a contract for construction . . . which requires a subcontractor to indemnify any party for injury to persons or damage to property not caused by the subcontractor or its employees, agents or sub-contractors, shall be void.” A right to indemnification based in contract will be upheld when a valid contract sets forth language of indemnification express or implied. Kelly v. Dimeo, Inc., 31 Mass.App.Ct. 626, 628 (1991). Section 29C voids contractual indemnity provisions that require indemnification for injuries not caused by the subcontractor. Herson v. New Boston Garden Corp., 40 Mass.App.Ct. 779, 788 (1996). Chapter 149, §29C does not prohibit contractual indemnity agreements where the subcontractor agrees to assume indemnity obligations for the entire liability when both the subcontractor and the general contractor are causally negligent. See Id.; Callahan v. A.J. Welch Equip. Corp., 36 Mass.App.Ct. 608, 611-13 (1994); and Harnois v. Quannapowitt Dev., Inc., 35 Mass.App.Ct. 286, 288 (1993). In determining the validity of an indemnity provision under §29C, it is upon “the language of the indemnity clause that [the court] must focus rather than upon a finding of the facts of the particular accident and an assessment of fault of the parties." Harnois, supra at 288.

The contract between Granger and Northeast contains a clear indemnification clause, Article 5, §5.2 of the Agreement, which states in pertinent part:

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Related

Pederson v. Time, Inc.
532 N.E.2d 1211 (Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, 1989)
LaLonde v. Eissner
539 N.E.2d 538 (Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, 1989)
Boston Symphony Orchestra, Inc. v. Commercial Union Insurance
545 N.E.2d 1156 (Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, 1989)
Community National Bank v. Dawes
340 N.E.2d 877 (Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, 1976)
Kourouvacilis v. General Motors Corp.
575 N.E.2d 734 (Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, 1991)
Flesner v. Technical Communications Corp.
575 N.E.2d 1107 (Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, 1991)
Cassesso v. Commissioner of Correction
456 N.E.2d 1123 (Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, 1983)
Kelly v. DIMEO, INC. WATERPROOFING CO.
581 N.E.2d 1316 (Massachusetts Appeals Court, 1991)
Harnois v. QUANNAPOWITT DEVELOPMENT, INC.
619 N.E.2d 351 (Massachusetts Appeals Court, 1993)
Callahan v. A. J. Welch Equipment Corp.
36 Mass. App. Ct. 608 (Massachusetts Appeals Court, 1994)
Herson v. New Boston Garden Corp.
667 N.E.2d 907 (Massachusetts Appeals Court, 1996)
Miley v. Johnson & Johnson Orthopaedics, Inc.
668 N.E.2d 369 (Massachusetts Appeals Court, 1996)

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Bluebook (online)
12 Mass. L. Rptr. 217, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/mcsweeney-v-sears-development-co-masssuperct-2000.