Richard v. Cornerstone Constructors, Inc.

921 S.W.2d 465, 1996 WL 184521
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedApril 18, 1996
Docket01-94-00764-CV
StatusPublished
Cited by37 cases

This text of 921 S.W.2d 465 (Richard v. Cornerstone Constructors, Inc.) 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
Richard v. Cornerstone Constructors, Inc., 921 S.W.2d 465, 1996 WL 184521 (Tex. Ct. App. 1996).

Opinion

OPINION ON MOTION FOR REHEARING

TAFT, Justice.

On August 31, 1995, we issued an opinion affirming a take-nothing judgment rendered in favor of appellee, Cornerstone Constructors, Inc. (Cornerstone). Appellants, Harmon and Carolyn Richard (the Richards), and intervenor, Lumbermens Mutual Casualty Company (Lumbermens), filed motions for rehearing. We overrule these motions, but withdraw our previous opinion and issue this opinion in its stead.

We are asked to decide whether a general contractor has a duty to the employees of a subcontractor to comply with Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations affecting safety at the construction site. Under the facts of this case, we find no such duty.

We affirm.

Facts

Harmon Richard (Richard) was injured on October 4, 1990, when he fell about 15 feet from a scaffold while at work renovating an apartment complex. The apartments were *467 owned by Duddlesten Realty, which hired Cornerstone to supervise renovation of the apartments. Cornerstone engaged five subcontractors for the renovation project. Garcia Construction (Garcia) contracted to do the carpentry work and, in turn, hired several carpentry crews. Richard was part of one such carpentry crew. Danny Benak was the construction manager for Cornerstone; he remained at the site at all times to oversee the renovation. The contract between Cornerstone and Garcia stipulated that Garcia would provide all materials and tools for the job.

The accident occurred when the scaffolding board, on which Richard was standing, broke. He had obtained the board from an impound area located behind the construction project. It is uneontroverted that Cornerstone owned the board. However, the scaffolding equipment that Richard used belonged not to Cornerstone or Garcia, but to Lynn Walters, the head of Richard’s carpentry crew. Whether Benak told Richard that he could obtain a board from the impound area was controverted. It was uneontroverted, however, that the board in question did not meet OSHA standards for use as scaffolding.

Points of Error

In two points of error, the Richards argue: (1) the district court erred in refusing to submit the requested instructions on negligence per se and defining negligence with regard to Cornerstone; and (2) alternatively, the district court erred in refusing to submit the requested instruction that violation of OSHA regulations was some evidence of negligence. Appellants’ points of error hinge on whether a general contractor at a construction site owes a duty to the employees of a subcontractor to ensure that OSHA safety standards are complied with at the work site.

Lumbermens raises 18 points of error alleging the evidence was legally and factually insufficient to sustain the judgment.

Standard of Review

A party is entitled to submission of controlling issues to the jury. Tex.R.Civ.P. 278; Moore v. Lillebo, 722 S.W.2d 683, 686-87 (Tex.1987). Therefore, the court must submit the questions, instructions, and definitions that are raised by the written pleadings and the evidence. TexR.Civ.P. 278; Elbaor v. Smith, 845 S.W.2d 240, 243 (Tex.1992).

Negligence Per Se

In appellants’ first point of error, they argue that the district court erred in refusing to submit the requested jury instructions on negligence per se and defining negligence with regard to Cornerstone.

“Negligence per se is a tort concept whereby a legislatively imposed standard of conduct is adopted by the civil courts as defining the conduct of a reasonably prudent person.” Moughon v. Wolf, 576 S.W.2d 603, 604 (Tex.1978). An unexeused violation of a statute constitutes negligence as a matter of law if the statute violated was designed to prevent injury to the class of persons to which the injured party belongs. Nixon v. Mr. Property Management Co., 690 S.W.2d 546, 549 (Tex.1985).

The Richards propose we adopt section 654(a) of the OSHA regulations, which states:

(a) Each employer—
(1) shall furnish to each of his employees employment and place of employment which are free from recognized hazards that are likely to cause death or serious physical harm to his employees;
(2) shall comply with occupational safety and health standards promulgated under this act.

29 U.S.CA. § 654(a)(1), (2). They contend that the second duty imposed by OSHA is a specific duty to comply with occupational safety and health standards promulgated under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970. They further maintain that nothing in the statute suggests that this duty runs only to an employer’s own employees.

In Texas, a general contractor, who is in control of the premises on a construction site, is charged only with the same duty as an owner or occupier. Redinger v. Living, Inc., 689 S.W.2d 415, 417 (Tex.1985). An owner or occupier of land has a duty to use reasonable care to keep the premises under *468 his control in a safe condition. Id. The Redinger Court reasoned that there are two situations when a general contractor can be liable for negligence: (1) those arising from a premise defect; and (2) those arising from an activity. Id. Where the activity is conducted by, and is under the control of, an independent contractor, and where the danger arises out of that activity, the responsibility or duty is that of the independent contractor, not the owner or occupier of land. Id. at 418 (citing Shell Chem. Co. v. Lamb, 493 S.W.2d 742 (Tex.1973)).

In Redinger, a subcontractor’s employee was injured by a different subcontractor’s employee on a construction site. Redinger, 689 S.W.2d at 417. The court held the general contractor liable for the injuries, because an agent of the general contractor, who was supervising the construction site, negligently ordered that certain work be performed. The injury was a result of that work. Id. at 418. Appellants suggest that we should not look to Redinger for guidance because Redinger did not involve any statutory or regulatory duty. However, Redinger accurately states the common law of Texas as it applies to a general contractor’s liability regarding activities under the control of an independent contractor. A state’s common law duties are not expanded by OSHA regulations. 1

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921 S.W.2d 465, 1996 WL 184521, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/richard-v-cornerstone-constructors-inc-texapp-1996.