FLORIDA POWER AND LIGHT COMPANY, A FLORIDA CORPORATION, APPELLANT,
v.
CHARLES BROWN, APPELLEE

Fla. 3d DCA | 1973-03-13
No. 72-560
Before CHARLES CARROLL, PIEN-DRY and HAVERFIELD, JJ.
274 So. 2d 558 Florida District Court of Appeal, Third District (1973) Negative Treatment
Cited by 16 cases

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Synopsis

Florida Power & Light Company appeals a $875,000 jury verdict in a personal injury action, arguing it should have workers' compensation immunity under Florida law. The court affirmed the judgment, holding that FP&L was not a 'contractor' within the meaning of the workers' compensation immunity statutes because its primary obligation arose from its statutory duty as a public utility, not from a contract with the property owner.


Holding

FP&L does not qualify as a 'contractor' under the workers' compensation immunity statutes because its primary obligation to provide power arose from its statutory duty as a public utility under Florida Statute § 366.03, not from a contractual obligation with the property owner. Therefore, FP&L is not entitled to workers' compensation immunity, and the plaintiff's negligence action against FP&L was properly allowed to proceed.


Headnotes

[1] A public utility's primary obligation to provide service to a customer arises from statute, not from a contract with the customer, for purposes of determining contractor…

[2] The "contract" contemplated by workers' compensation statutes for contractor immunity is a conventional agreement between a general contractor and a property owner for co…

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Key Quotes

“The primary obligation of F.P.L., as a public utility, to provide power to its customers in the case before us did not arise out of a contract between the Fashion Square and F.P.L., even assuming such a contract existed. F.P.L.'s primary obligation arises out of a statute rather than a contract.”

This establishes the court's key distinction that FP&L's obligation was statutory, not contractual, and therefore it does not qualify as a 'contractor' under the immunity statutes.

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Facts & Procedural History

Plaintiff, an employee of T.D. McClure Co. (an electrical contractor hired by FP&L), was injured when he touched a de-energized terminator in a vault …

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Opinion of the Court
HENDRY, Judge.

HENDRY, Judge.

Appellant, Florida Power & Light Company (hereinafter referred to as F.P.L.), seeks review of an adverse final judgment based on a jury verdict finding it liable for $875,000.00 in a personal injury action.

The major point raised by appellant is that the plaintiff’s action against it should have been barred due to the provisions of *559Fla.Stat. §§ 440.10 and 440.11, 1 F.S.A., providing plaintiff with the exclusive remedy for his claim by way of workmen’s compensation. The lower court ruled, as a matter of law, that the appellant was not covered by the immunity encompassed within the aforementioned provisions of the statutes. We agree with this determination and accordingly affirm.

Plaintiff appellee was an employee of the T. D. McClure Co., an electrical contractor, at the time of the accident in question. McClure Co. was hired as an independent contractor by F.P.L. to provide alternate electrical feed to electrical power vaults in order to supply power to the Pompano Fashion Square. The contract between McClure and F.P.L. contained the following recitation:

“T. D. McCLURE, Jr. CO, hereinafter referred to as the contractor, agrees to perform the work described in this order as an independent Contractor and not as a Subcontractor, Agent or Employee of the Florida Power & Light Company, hereinafter referred to as the company. The Company retains no control or direction over the Contractor and its employees of over the detail, manner or methods of the performance of the described work by Contractor or its employees, and Contractor, upon acceptance of this purchase order, agrees to protect, defend and hold the Company free and unharmed against any liabilities whatsoever whether or not due to or caused by Company’s negligence, resulting in connection with performance of the described work by Contractor, its employees or Subcontractors.”

F.P.L. had negotiated with the owners of the Fashion Square to connect the center’s power lines to the power facilities of F.P. L., facilities that were somewhat removed from the shopping center itself. The shopping center agreed to construct both underground and above ground vaults on the center’s property to hold F.P.L.’s equipment and to give F.P.L. easement access to the vaults.

Appellee plaintiff was working in one such vault and touched a terminator thought to have been de-energized. Appel-lee received 13,000 volts of electricity but miraculously survived. However, appel-lee’s escape from death was not without *560great costs. Appellee’s right arm was amputated and he has permanently lost complete workable use of his left hand. In addition, appellee suffered severe electrical and thermal burns to his body. Appellee was covered by workmen’s compensation through his employer, McClure Co., and collected on same. Appellee brought suit against F.P.L. as the negligent owner of an electrical distribution system causing his injury and after a jury trial recovered a verdict of $875,000.00. No issue is raised by appellant as to the priopriety of the verdict or the negligence of the company.

Argument is directed to the status of F.P.L. and its alleged immunity from liability since appellee’s exclusive remedy was allegedly under the provisions of the Workmen’s Compensation Act and specifically provided for in §§ 440.10 and 440.11, Fla.Stat., F.S.A. The question then presented is whether F.P.L. was a “contractor” within the meaning of the statutes. If so, then the plaintiff appellee’s exclusive remedy was under the provisions of the Workmen’s Compensation Act. See: Miami Roofing & Sheet Metal Co. v. Kindt, Fla.1950, 48 So.2d 840; Smith v. Poston Equipment Rentals, Inc., Fla.App.1958, 105 So.2d 578. We do not believe that the negotiations between F.P.L. and the owners of the Fashion Square 2 resulted in a “contract” as was contemplated by the statute in order for F.P.L. to qualify as a “contractor” subject to immunity by the statutes.

Our Supreme Court has noted that in order for a person or company to so qualify as a “contractor” its primary obligation in performing a job or providing a service must arise out of a contract. See: Jones v. Florida Power Corp., Fla.1954, 72 So.2d 285; State v. Luckie, Fla.App.1962, 145 So.2d 239, cert. denied, Fla.1962, 148 So.2d 278. The primary obligation of F.P.L., as a public utility, to provide power to its customers in the case before us did not arise out of a contract between the Fashion Square and F.P.L., even assuming such a contract existed.3 F.P.L.’s primary obligation arises out of a statute rather than a contract. Florida Statutes, § 366.03, F.S. A., provides, inter alia:

“Each public utility shall furnish to each person applying therefor reasonable sufficient, adequate and efficient service upon terms as required by the commission . . . ”

Moreover, in State v. Luckie, supra, the First District Court of Appeal noted the type of “contract” that was required in order for a person or corporation to take advantage of the protection of the statutes. The court stated:

“In West v. Sampson4 our Supreme Court indicated, if it did not specifically so hold, that the type of contractual obligation by which one must be bound in order to be held a contractor within the meaning of the statute [§ 440.10, Fla. Stat., F.S.A.] is the conventional type of contract entered into between a general contractor and an owner of property for whose benefit improvements are to be constructed or specified work is to be performed, by which the contractor agrees for a stated consideration to construct an improvement or perform the work in accordance with agreed plans and specifications.”

The type of contract mentioned above does exist in the case sub judice. However, that is the contract between F.P.L. as owner and McClure Co. as independent contractor. We have carefully studied the voluminous record in this cause and are of the opinion that the negotiations between *561the owners of the Fashion Square and F. P.L. did not result in the type of contractual obligation contemplated by the statute. See: State v. Luckie, supra; Jones v. Florida Power Corp., supra; Vanlandingham v. Florida Power & Light Co., 1944, 154 Fla. 628, 18 So.2d 678. It is our belief that F.P.L. was an owner and primary employer of McClure Co., its independent contractor for the purpose of providing power to a customer as is required by Florida Statutes.5 We have considered the remaining point raised by appellant and have found it to be without merit.

Therefore, for the reasons stated and upon the authorities cited and discussed, the judgment appealed from is hereby affirmed.

Affirmed.


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Cited By

  • Gator Freightways, Inc. v. Roberts, 550 So. 2d 1117 (Fla. 1989)
    …employer of an employee of its independent contractor, who did not carry workers’ compensation coverage. We find conflict with Williams v. Pan American World Airways, Inc., 448 So. 2d 68 (Fla. 3d DCA 1984), and Florida Power and Light Co. v. Brown, 274 So. 2d 558 (Fla. 3d DCA 1973). We have jurisdiction, article V, § 3(b)(3), Florida Constitution, and approve the district court decision in the instant case. The relevant facts indicate that Gator Freightways, a common carrier, leased trucking equipment from…
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  • Roberts v. Gator Freightways, Inc., 538 So. 2d 55 (Fla. 1st DCA 1989)
    …iding a service must arise out of a contract. National Union Fire Insurance Company v. Underwood, 502 So. 2d 1325 (Fla. 4th DCA 1987); Southern Sanitation v. Debrosse, 463 So. 2d 420 (Fla. 1st DCA 1985); and Florida Power and Light Company v. Brown, 274 So. 2d 558 (Fla. 3d DCA 1973). Appellant contends that the result in his case should be controlled by our decision in Barrow v. Shel Products, Inc., 466 So. 2d 281 (Fla. 1st DCA 1985). In Barrow, the claimant was driving a tractor-trailer rig that had been le…
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  • Cork v. Gable, 340 So. 2d 487 (Fla. 2d DCA 1976)
    …sideration to construct an improvement or perform the work in accordance with agreed plans and specifications.” State v. Luckie, 145 So. 2d 239 (Fla. 1st DCA 1962). The instant case is somewhat analogous to Florida Power and Light Company v. Brown, 274 So. 2d 558 (Fla.3d DCA 1973). There, Pompano Fashion Square made arrangements to have Florida Power supply electricity to the shopping center’s power lines. In order to do this it was necessary for Florida Power to place some of its equipment in underground an…

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