Hiltz v. John Deere Indus. Equipment Co., 83-579

• Decision Date: 31 May 1985
• Docket Number: No. 83-579,83-579
• Citation: 497 A.2d 748,146 Vt. 12
• Parties: , Prod.Liab.Rep. (CCH) P 10,665 Gregory HILTZ v. JOHN DEERE INDUSTRIAL EQUIPMENT COMPANY, and Murphy Equipment, Inc. v. SHERBURNE CORPORATION and American Mutual Insurance Company of Boston.
• Court: Vermont Supreme Court

Page 748

497 A.2d 748

146 Vt. 12, Prod.Liab.Rep. (CCH) P 10,665

Gregory HILTZ v. JOHN DEERE INDUSTRIAL EQUIPMENT COMPANY, and Murphy Equipment, Inc. v. SHERBURNE CORPORATION and American Mutual Insurance Company of Boston.

No. 83-579.

Supreme Court of Vermont.

May 31, 1985.

James W. Volz and Ritchie E. Berger of Dinse, Allen & Erdmann, Burlington, for defendants-appellants John Deere Indus. Equipment Co. and Murphy Equipment, Inc.

Allan R. Keyes of Ryan Smith & Carbine, Ltd., Rutland, for defendant-appellee Sherburne Corp.

Before HILL, UNDERWOOD, PECK and GIBSON, JJ., and COSTELLO, D.J. (Ret.), Specially Assigned.

HILL, Justice.

This case involves an appeal by the defendants, John Deere Industrial Equipment Company (Deere) and Murphy Equipment, Inc. (Murphy) from an order of the Rutland Superior Court dismissing their third-party complaint against the third-party defendants, Sherburne Corporation (Sherburne) and American Mutual Insurance Company of Boston. We affirm.

This action originated as a tort action in which the plaintiff, Gregory Hiltz, sued the defendants for personal injuries sustained in an accident. At the time of the accident, Hiltz was employed as an equipment operator by Sherburne. Deere manufactured and sold to Sherburne a side boom counterweight for use on one of Sherburne's tractors. The counterweight was installed on the tractor by Murphy.

Plaintiff's complaint alleges that the side boom counterweight was defective, causing an integral structural islet to fracture and dismember and thus negate the effect of a piston arm on the counterweight. As an employee of Sherburne, Hiltz was provided with the defective tractor and side boom for use in the scope of his employment. While using this equipment, Hiltz was severely injured when the side boom counterweight malfunctioned.

Deere and Murphy denied the allegations in Hiltz's complaint and filed a third-party complaint against Sherburne. In their complaint they alleged Sherburne had actual knowledge of a broken hydraulic piston on the side boom counterweight and that, notwithstanding this knowledge, it permitted Hiltz to operate this device while it was broken. They alleged that any injury to Hiltz was solely caused by Sherburne's actions and that, even if they were negligent, any negligence on their part was passive and secondary while Sherburne's negligence was active and primary. Consequently, Deere and Murphy claimed they were entitled to be indemnified by Sherburne for any judgment rendered against them in favor of Hiltz. Alternatively, Deere and Murphy requested that any judgment against them be reduced by the amount of Sherburne's workers' compensation lien or that they be given a judgment against Sherburne in that amount. They also requested declaratory relief ordering Sherburne to pay directly to them any future workers' compensation benefits to which Hiltz becomes entitled.

Sherburne filed a motion to dismiss the third-party complaint pursuant to V.R.C.P. 12(b)(6) for failure to state a claim upon which relief can be granted. Sherburne alleged the complaint was barred by Vermont's rule against contribution among joint tortfeasors. Howard v. Spafford, 132 Vt. 434, 321 A.2d 74 (1974); Spalding v Oakes, 42 Vt. 343 (1869). The superior court agreed with Sherburne and dismissed the third-party complaint. Deere and Murphy appeal that decision.

Appellants first claim that their third-party complaint should not have been dismissed because it sufficiently pleaded a claim for indemnity which is an exception to the rule against contribution among joint tortfeasors. Under Vermont law, a right of indemnity exists if "(a) there is an express agreement or undertaking by one to indemnify the other, or (b) the circumstances are such that the law will imply such an undertaking." Bardwell Motor Inn, Inc. v. Accavallo, 135 Vt. 571, 572, 381 A.2d 1061, 1062 (1977). Appellants argue that the circumstances in the present case are such that Sherburne has an obligation to indemnify them. They argue that because liability to Hiltz may be imposed on them based on strict liability in tort and regardless of any negligence on their part, they are not "in equal fault" with Sherburne and that this constitutes a basis for finding an obligation to indemnify. See Morris v. American Motors Corp., 142 Vt. 566, 576, 459 A.2d 968, 974 (1982) (indemnity allowed where parties not in equal fault and one is compelled by some legal obligation to pay damages occasioned by negligence of another); Digregorio v. Champlain Valley Fruit Co., 127 Vt. 562, 565, 255 A.2d 183, 185 (1969) (indemnity permitted where parties not in equal fault and plaintiffs entitled to rely on defendant's warranty to them.)

An obligation to indemnify does not arise merely from the disparate quality of independent torts. This is apparent from this Court's failure to adopt the "active-passive" distinction as forming a basis for indemnity. Bardwell, supra, 135 Vt. at 572, 381 A.2d at 1062; see Zaleskie v. Joyce, 133 Vt. 150, 158, 333 A.2d 110, 115 (1975) (refusing to address "active-passive" distinction as forming basis for indemnity). An obligation of indemnity has been imposed where the relationship of the parties is such that the obligations of the alleged indemnitor extend not only to the injured person, but also to the indemnitee. See Morris, supra, 142 Vt. at 576, 459 A.2d at 974 (strictly liable manufacturer of automobile entitled to indemnity from manufacturer of defective part); Bardwell, supra, 135 Vt. at 572, 381 A.2d at 1062 (owner with nondelegable duty to keep premises reasonably safe entitled to indemnity from a contractor whose misconduct created hazard); Digregorio, supra, 127 Vt. at 565, 255 A.2d at 185 (retailer of defective fruit entitled to indemnity from wholesaler); Prosser and Keeton on The Law of Torts § 51, at 341-42 (5th ed. lawyer's ed. 1984) (indemnity in favor of one held responsible solely by imputation of law because of relation to actual wrongdoer). In the present case, the relationship between the appellants and Sherburne is not one which imposes an obligation on Sherburne to indemnify appellants. Sherburne is the purchaser of an allegedly defective product. Sherburne's relationship with appellants is precisely opposite to the relationship which gave rise to the obligation to indemnify in Morris, Bardwell and Digregorio. The law imposes no implicit obligation upon the purchaser of a product to indemnify the manufacturer. See, e.g., William H. Field Co. v. Nuroco Woodwork, Inc., 115 N.H. 632, 634, 348 A.2d 716, 718 (1975) (no duty flowing "upstream" from purchaser to manufacturer giving rise to obligation to indemnify); 2A A. Larson, Workmen's Compensation Law § 76.84, at 14-752 n. 49 (1983 & Supp.1984) (citing cases finding no obligation on purchaser to indemnify manufacturer). Furthermore, in Viens v. Anthony Co., 282 F.Supp. 983, 987...