Smith v. Poston Equipment Rentals, Inc., 58-7
| Citation | 105 So.2d 578 |
| Decision Date | 25 September 1958 |
| Docket Number | No. 58-7,58-7 |
| Parties | John R. SMITH, Appellant, v. POSTON EQUIPMENT RENTALS, Inc., a Florida corporation, Appellee. |
| Court | Court of Appeal of Florida (US) |
Page 578
v.
POSTON EQUIPMENT RENTALS, Inc., a Florida corporation, Appellee.
Rehearing Denied Oct. 29, 1958.
Krystow & Johnson, Miami, for appellant.
Dixon, DeJarnette, Bradford & Williams, Miami, for appellee.
PEARSON, Judge.
John R. Smith, an employee of the general contractor on a construction job, was injured when a concrete bucket fell from a crane and broke the scaffold upon which he was working. The crane was being operated by an employee of the appellee, Poston Equipment Rentals, Inc. A helper or flagman, also an employee of Poston, was directing the movements of the crane. Smith, as plaintiff, filed a complaint claiming damages from Poston. The trial judge entered a final summary judgment for the defendant, Poston, and this appeal followed.
The pleadings, depositions and admissions on file, together with the affidavit of the defendant established the following factual basis for the summary final judgment. The general contractor, who was not a party to the cause, in order to facilitate the pouring of concrete to fill certain forms on the construction job, rented from the defendant a crane with a crane operator and helper. The crane with the operator and helper was being used by the contractor as an integral part of the building operation. The process followed was that the bucket attached to the crane was filled with concrete by employees of the general contractor
Page 579
and then the crane lifted the filled bucket and lowered it over the column and concrete poured into the forms. The plaintiff was on scaffolding near the column being poured. It is not clear from the record what the plaintiff was doing but he was by trade a carpenter and he was engaged in the construction of the building of which the poured concrete column was to be a part. While the bucket was being held over the form by the crane operator, the bucket fell, striking and breaking the scaffolding and the appellant was knocked off the scaffold and injured. There is no charge that the equipment furnished by the defendant, Poston, was defective. The negligence alleged is that the defendant by its employees negligently operated the crane.The controlling question is whether the defendant, Poston, is a third party against whom an independent action can be maintained under the Workman's Compensation Act. In this connection it is necessary to refer to section 440.10(1) Fla.Stat., F.S.A., which is a portion of the Workman's Compensation Law, and reads as follows:
'Every employer coming within the provisions of this chapter, including any brought within the chapter by waiver...
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Nelson v. Union Wire Rope Corp., 37795
...Florida has a 'common employer' rule, the workings of which are best demonstrated by Smith v. Poston Equipment Rentals, Inc. (Fla.App.), 105 So.2d 578. In that case a general contractor rented a crane from Poston for use on a construction project and was loaned an operator and a helper to r......
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Scott & Jobalia Const. Co., Inc. v. Halifax Paving, Inc. for Use and Benefit of U.S. Fidelity and Guar. Co., 87-1052
...se. Smith at 424. See also Zenchak v. Ryder Truck Rentals, Inc., 150 So.2d 727 (Fla. 3d DCA 1963); Smith v. Poston Equipment Rentals, 105 So.2d 578 (Fla. 3d DCA If no lease is involved, and the dangerous instrumentality is merely borrowed on a handshake, as in this case, our sister courts h......
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Foulk v. Perkins, 5248
...actions. The cases of Younger v. Giller Contracting Co., 143 Fla. 335, 196 So. 690, and Smith v. Poston Equipment Rentals, Fla.App.1958, 105 So.2d 578, urged by the appellant in support of its contentions on this question, are not in The judgment appealed from is hereby Affirmed. ALLEN, C. ......
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Carter v. Sims Crane Service, Inc., 35136
...196 So. 690; Miami Roofing and Sheet Metal v. Kindt, Fla.1950, 48 So.2d 840; Smith v. Poston Equipment Rentals, Fla.App., 3d Dist.1958, 105 So.2d 578; Michaels v. United States Fidelity & Guaranty Co., Fla.App., 2d Dist.1961, 129 So.2d 427; Street v. Safway Steel Scaffold Co., Fla.App., 1st......