White v. Collins Electric Co.

225 F. Supp. 239, 1964 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 8214
CourtDistrict Court, D. Massachusetts
DecidedJanuary 7, 1964
DocketCiv. A. No. 60-514-J
StatusPublished

This text of 225 F. Supp. 239 (White v. Collins Electric Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Massachusetts primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
White v. Collins Electric Co., 225 F. Supp. 239, 1964 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 8214 (D. Mass. 1964).

Opinion

JULIAN, District Judge.

The plaintiff brought this suit to recover damages for personal injuries allegedly caused by the negligence of employees of the defendant, Collins Electric Company, Inc. (Collins), on November 18, 1959, in Holyoke, Massachusetts, while he was working as an employee of Hartwell Company, Inc. (Hartwell), in the construction of a power plant of the Holyoke Water Power Company (Hol-yoke) .

The defendant Collins claims that the plaintiff is precluded from bringing this action by the provisions of the Massachusetts workmen’s compensation act, General Laws, chapter 152, sections 15 1 and 18.2

The plaintiff contends that this case falls within the exception stated in section 18.2

By agreement of the parties this issue was severed from the remainder of the case and tried to the Court without a jury. The issue of the defendant’s negligence was left undecided.

FINDINGS OF FACT

1. The requisite facts for federal jurisdiction were admitted to exist.

2. The parties stipulated to the fo1-lowing facts:

(a) At the time the plaintiff was injured he was an employee of [241]*241Hartwell and his injuries arose out of and in the course of his employment.
(b) At the time of the injuries, employees of the defendant Collins were in control of and working with the cable that came in contact with the plaintiff.
(e) Said employees of Collins were working within the scope of their employment.
(d) The plaintiff did not give his employer written notice that he claimed his right of action at common law.3

3. In December, 1956, Holyoke, by written contract (Exh. M) retained the services of Jackson & Moreland, Inc., a firm of engineers, to render engineering services to the extent therein specified for the planning and construction of Holyoke’s Mt. Tom Power Plant in Hol-yoke, Massachusetts.

4. In August, 1957, Holyoke entered into a single written contract (Exh. A) with two entities, Daniel O’Connell’s Sons, Inc. (O’Connell’s) and Thomas O’Connor & Company, Inc. (O’Connor), both Massachusetts corporations, covering the general structural work and installation of certain power equipment for the power plant. The general structural work was to be done by O’Connell’s and the installation of power equipment by O’Connor. The work was to be prosecuted in accordance with specifications, drawings, and purchase orders issued from time to time by Holyoke. The contract called for the payment by Holyoke of the cost of the work plus a fixed fee.

5. In July, 1958, Holyoke issued a purchase order (Exh. F) to Grinnell Company (Grinnell), a corporation, to furnish, fabricate and erect high- and low-pressure piping for the plant. The purchase order was accepted by Grinnell, which in turn delegated the performance of the work to Hartwell, its wholly owned subsidiary and the plaintiff’s employer.

6. In October, 1958, O’Connor subcontracted (Exh. H) certain electrical work at the power plant to the defendant Collins.

7. Holyoke contracted directly with other persons for the supply and installation of other major items required for the construction of the power plant.

There was no general contractor. Holyoke, the owner, exercised all the functions ordinarily exercised by a general contractor.

Holyoke was the “common employer” in the construction of the power plant.

8. At the time the plaintiff was injured, employees of Hartwell, including the plaintiff, and employees of Collins were engaged, respectively, in the performance of their employers’ contracts on the job site.

9. Holyoke retained the right to control, manage, coordinate, and supervise the construction of the plant. It exercised this right continuously at the site of the construction through its own employees. The contractors and subcontractors received and followed instructions given them by Holyoke’s chief engineer, who was the project engineer having full responsibility for the construction of the plant.

Besides its chief engineer, Holyoke had the following employees actively engaged on the job:

(a) An assistant to the project engineer.
(b) A supervisor of the electrical work.
(c) A steam engineer (the new plant was to be powered by steam).
(d) An employee who handled all’ accounting work at the construction site. All bills were-[242]*242submitted to him for approval. He was assisted in this work by another Holyoke employee.
(e) A line crew of about six employees who from time to time installed temporary power facilities.
•(f) Engineers who inspected construction. These were in addition to inspection personnel supplied by Jackson & Moreland, Inc.
(g) About 45 painters.

The survey for the layout of the plant was done by Holyoke surveyors. Most of "the blueprints were made at Holyoke’s main office; and to a minor extent part •of the drafting of the plans was done by Holyoke employees.

10. At all times material to this case Holyoke, O’Connell’s, O’Connor, Grinnell, Hartwell, and Collins were insured persons within the meaning of the Massachusetts workmen’s compensation act. Each had obtained insurance for the payment to its employees working on the construction of the power plant of the compensation provided by the Massachusetts workmen’s compensation act.

11. Holyoke Water Power Company was made a corporation in 1859 by a special legislative act for the purpose, among others, of creating and maintaining water power to be used by itself and to be sold to other persons for manufacturing purposes (Chapter 6 of the Acts of 1859). Subsequent legislative acts enlarged its powers. Chapter 350 •of the Acts of 1903 authorized the corporation “to manufacture electricity for power purposes, within the city of Hol-yoke and the town of South Hadley, and to sell and distribute the same * * 'Chapter 152 of the Acts of 1909 authorized Holyoke to sell1 electricity to any tenant occupying any mill or factory building which it had constructed since January 1, 1909, “or may hereafter construct.”

12. Prior to undertaking the construction of the Mt. Tom Power Plant, Holyoke had built for its own use the following structures, among others :

(a) In the early 1920’s, a hydroelectric plant to generate electricity.
(b) At about the same time, a hydroelectric unit.
(c) In the 1920’s also, a steam turbine power plant.
(d) About 1931, a hydroelectric unit of substantial size.
(e) About 1949-51, a large hydroelectric plant at Hadley Falls.
(f) About 1943, a boiler, and the building housing it, of substantial dimensions.

Plants (a), (b), and (d) were built directly by Holyoke with its own employees. The other plants were built by contractors, but some employees of Hol-yoke participated in their construction.

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Bluebook (online)
225 F. Supp. 239, 1964 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 8214, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/white-v-collins-electric-co-mad-1964.