Johnston v. Conoco, Inc.

• Decision Date: 19 July 1988
• Docket Number: II-X,No. 87-286,I-V,87-286
• Citation: 758 P.2d 566
• Parties: Dell Allen JOHNSTON, Appellant (Plaintiff), v. CONOCO, INC., Gary Robison, John DoesInclusive, Doe CorporationsInclusive, and Doe PartnershipsInclusive, Appellees (Defendants), CONOCO, INC., (Third-Party Plaintiff), v. W.E. "BILL" SAUER COMPANY, (Third-Party Defendant).
• Court: Wyoming Supreme Court

Page 566

758 P.2d 566

Dell Allen JOHNSTON, Appellant (Plaintiff), v. CONOCO, INC., Gary Robison, John Does II-X Inclusive, Doe Corporations I-V Inclusive, and Doe Partnerships I-V Inclusive, Appellees (Defendants), CONOCO, INC., (Third-Party Plaintiff), v. W.E. "BILL" SAUER COMPANY, (Third-Party Defendant).

No. 87-286.

Supreme Court of Wyoming.

July 19, 1988.

W. Keith Goody and James K. Lubing of Goody and Lubing, Jackson, for appellant.

Patrick J. Murphy and Stuart R. Day of Williams, Porter, Day & Neville, P.C., Casper, for appellee Conoco, Inc.

G.G. Greenlee of Murane & Bostwick, Casper, for appellee Gary Robison.

Before BROWN, C.J., and THOMAS, CARDINE, URBIGKIT and MACY, JJ.

MACY, Justice.

Appellant Dell Allen Johnston was injured in an oil field accident during the course of his employment as a roughneck on a drilling rig. He subsequently brought a personal injury action against, inter alia, appellees Conoco, Inc. (Conoco) and Gary Robison. Appellant alleged culpable negligence on the part of co-employee Robison and negligence against Conoco, the owner/operator of the oil and gas lease upon which appellant's employer was drilling a well pursuant to a contract with Conoco. Appellant appeals from the order of the district court granting summary judgment to both Conoco and Mr. Robison.

We affirm.

Appellant, tracking the language of Rule 56(c), W.R.C.P., phrases the issue for review as follows:

"Was the Summary Judgment improper because:

"(i) Genuine issues of material fact existed, and

"(ii) Appellees were not entitled to judgment as a matter of law?"

At the time of his injury, appellant was employed by W.E. "Bill" Sauer Company (Sauer Company) as a floor hand on a drilling rig. Sauer Company was drilling a well for Conoco pursuant to a drilling contract. Conoco, as owner/operator of the oil and gas lease, had a "company man," David Beard, living in a trailer on location during the course of drilling. Evidence in the record established that, as Conoco's representative, Mr. Beard was responsible for monitoring the progress and overseeing the results of drilling. Appellant has alleged that Mr. Beard also had authority to control and supervise daily drilling operations.

Appellant was relatively inexperienced as a rig hand, occupying the position of "worm"; i.e., low man on the crew. On the date of the accident, October 23, 1984, the derrick hand did not show up for work, leaving the rig to be operated by a three-man crew as opposed to the customary four-man operation. Thus, at the time of the accident, the crew was comprised of Mr. Robison as driller, appellant, and Henry Jolly, another floor hand. In addition, evidence in the record established that Mr. Robison had injured his right shoulder some days earlier and to some extent was continuing to experience ill effects or at least discomfort from that injury.

The injury producing accident involving appellant occurred while he and Mr. Jolly were attempting to make a connection; i.e., adding a new joint of drill pipe to the pipe already in the hole. There is a discrepancy in the deposition testimony as to whether the accident happened while the kelly (the "drive" apparatus on a rig) was being removed from the existing pipe in the rotary table so that a new joint could be added or whether it occurred while the crew was attempting to tighten the new joint of pipe into the existing pipe in the rotary table. In any event, both operations require the use of two sets of "tongs," large pipe wrench-type tools, for breaking and making connections. Appellant and Mr. Jolly were having difficulty in getting the tongs to "bite" properly on the drill pipe. Appellant left his normal position on the rig floor to assist Mr. Jolly with his set of tongs. Before appellant and Mr. Jolly were able to secure the tongs, however, Mr. Robison put power to the cathead, and the tongs slipped, crushing appellant's left arm in the rig works.

The extent of appellant's injury is not clearly presented in the summary judgment record before this Court. It is clear, however, that at a minimum his left arm was severely fractured requiring medical care with medical expenses allegedly totaling $12,532.38 at the time the original complaint was filed. The record also indicates appellant received worker's compensation benefits of an unspecified amount as a result of his injury.

By original complaint filed September 12, 1986, and an amendment thereto, appellant brought suit against appellees and numerous other defendants designated as John Does, primarily consisting of unknown individuals and companies responsible for the manufacture and sale of the drilling rig and its component parts. As a result of a pretrial conference, a pretrial order was entered deleting all the John Doe defendants as parties.

Appellant's amended complaint alleged in substance a cause of action against Mr. Robison for culpable negligence in operating the rig while he was in an incapacitated condition and while the crew was shorthanded. Similarly, with respect to Conoco, the amended complaint alleged that Sauer Company employees were under the control and supervision of Conoco, that Conoco had a nondelegable duty to provide a safe work place, and that Conoco was therefore negligent in allowing Mr. Robison to operate the rig while he was in an impaired condition and with a shorthanded crew. Appellant claimed damages totaling $5,062,532.38 including past and future medical expenses, past and future pain and suffering, and loss of the enjoyment of life. ¹

After discovery was conducted by the parties, both appellees filed motions for summary judgment with supporting affidavit and deposition testimony. Appellant responded accordingly. The district court issued a decision letter granting summary judgment to both Mr. Robison and Conoco, and its amended order to that effect was entered on December 1, 1987. This appeal followed.

We begin by reiterating our well-established standard of review on appeal from the grant of summary judgment. We review the judgment in the same light as the district court using the same material and following the same standards. Stockwell v. Parker Drilling Co., Inc., Wyo., 733 P.2d 1029 (1987). The party moving for summary judgment has the burden of establishing that there are no genuine issues of material fact and that he is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. Farr v. Link, Wyo., 746 P.2d 431 (1987); Rule 56(c), supra. A material fact is one which, if proved, would have the effect of establishing or refuting an essential element of the claim or defense asserted by the parties. Parker v. Haller, Wyo., 751 P.2d 372 (1988). If the movant has established a prima facie case, the burden then shifts to the party opposing the motion to present evidence of specific facts countering the facts set forth by the movant. Jones Land and Livestock Co. v. Federal Land Bank of Omaha, Wyo., 733 P.2d 258 (1987); Rule 56(e), W.R.C.P. Conclusory statements and general allegations will not satisfy the opposing party's burden. Jones Land and Livestock Co. v. Federal Land Bank of Omaha, supra. We examine the record, however, from the vantage point most favorable to the nonmoving party, giving that party the benefit of all favorable inferences which may be drawn from the facts. Parker v. Haller, supra. In addition, we have said that summary judgment is a drastic remedy and that, as a general rule, it is not favored in negligence actions. Id.

We next apply the above standards to appellant's claims against Mr. Robison and Conoco. We look first to the claim of culpable negligence with respect to co-employee Robison. Before its repeal in 1986, § 27-12-103(a), W.S.1977, provided an exception to the exclusive remedy of the Wyoming Worker's Compensation Act for an injured employee as against a culpably negligent co-employee. ² As Mr. Robison points out in his brief, this is likely to be one of the last cases arising under the prior statute. Section 27-12-103(a) provided:

"The rights and remedies provided in this act [§§ 27-12-101 through 27-12-804] for an employee and his dependents for injuries incurred in extrahazardous employments are in lieu of all other rights and remedies against any employer making contributions required by this act, or his employees acting within the scope of their employment unless the employees are culpably negligent, but do not supersede any rights and remedies available to an employee and his dependents against any other person." (Emphasis added.)

In Bryant v. Hornbuckle, Wyo., 728 P.2d 1132, 1136 (1986), we said, with respect to this statute, that:

"In order to recover against a coemployee under this section of the Worker's Compensation Act, a plaintiff must establish more than simple negligence; the coemployee's conduct must constitute 'culpable' negligence. In Barnette v. Doyle, Wyo., 622 P.2d 1349, 1362 (1981), we defined the term 'culpable negligence' as 'willful and serious misconduct.' We defined the term 'willful' in this context as ' "such as is done purposely, with knowledge--or misconduct of such a character as to evince a reckless disregard of consequences." ' Id., quoting Hamilton v. Swigart Coal Mine, 59 Wyo. 485, 143 P.2d 203, 206, 149 A.L.R. 998 (1943).

"The aggravating factor which distinguishes willful misconduct from...