MICHAEL COCKERHAM, A MINOR, BY QUENTIN COCKERHAM, AS HIS NEXT FRIEND, AND QUENTIN COCKERHAM, APPELLANTS,
v.
R. E. VAUGHAN, INC., A FLORIDA CORPORATION, APPELLEE
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A 2.5-year-old child was injured when he fell into an uncovered 6x8x6 foot hole dug by a contractor to install a septic tank. The Florida Supreme Court reversed summary judgment for the contractor, holding that a contractor creating a dangerous condition on another's land owes the same duty of care regarding child trespassers as the property owner would, and that material factual questions existed regarding whether the condition posed an unreasonable risk to child trespassers.
A contractor creating an artificial condition on another's land, while the work remains in the contractor's charge, is subject to the same liability to third parties, including child trespassers, as the property owner would be under the attractive nuisance doctrine. Summary judgment was improper because genuine issues of material fact existed regarding whether the condition posed an unreasonable risk to children likely to trespass, the contractor's knowledge of child presence, and the utility of the condition.
“Whether the deceased child was a trespasser upon the premises in question is not material. * * * The test to be applied in a case of this type is whether a reasonably prudent person should have anticipated the presence of children or other persons at the place where the appellee created a condition that a jury could find was an 'inherently dangerous condition' or a 'dangerous instrumentality' like unto an explosive substance, an inflammable material, a live wire or a spring gun.”
Establishes the controlling standard from Carter v. Livesay: foreseeability of children and the dangerous nature of the condition, rather than trespasser status, determines liability.
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Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligenceThe appellant, a 2.5-year-old child, was injured when he fell into a 6x8x6 foot hole that the appellee contractor had dug on another's land to install…
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DREW, Chief Justice.
In this tort action the appellant, a 2% year old child, sought damages for injuries sustained when he fell into a hold 6' x S' x 6' existing on land of another. • He alleged among other things that the appellee dug the hole to install a' septic tank pursuant tó a contract for that with the owner of the land and negligently left-the same wholly unprotected for several weeks with notice or knowledge that small children were attracted thereto. ‘
Depositions were taken of an officer of the appellee corporation and of an owner of the land. Pursuant to motion of appellee, the trail court entered a summary final judgment in its favor. This case is controlled by Carter v. Livesay Window Co., Fla.1954, 73 So. 2d 411, 413, subsequent to the date of the final judgment from which the appeal is prosecuted. Thus it will be observed that the trial court did not have the benefit of that decision before it at the time of ’'the ruling in this case. '•
Carter v. Livesay Window Co., Inc., supra, arose out of an injury sustained by a minor when a precast concrete window frame fell on him-while he was playing in and . around a home under construction. The sub-contractor had-placed the concrete window frame in position in the early morning of December 1, 1951, knowing that no one connected with the construction would be around the premises over the weekend. It was during this period that the minor, plaintiff in the case, pulled over one of the insecurely placed-frames and received the injury, There we said,. “Whether the deceased child was a trespasser upon the premises in question is not material. * * * The test to be applied in a case of -this type is whether a reasonably prudent person should have anticipated the presence of children or other persons at the place where the appellee created-a condition that a jury could find was an ‘inherently dangerous condition’ or a ‘dangerous instrumentality’ like unto an explosive substance, an inflammable material, a live wire or a spring gun.” Moreover, we observed in that case, “The job was in a residential neighborhood where, as urged' by the appellant, there were families with children. In addition to being so close akin to the attractive nuisance doctrine, it is common knowledge that children-are as prone to play,-around houses under-construction as monkeys are prone to climb trees.!’
It is contended that appellee breached no duty to appellant because it was a contractor not in .control of the premises. It is true that appellqe was a contractor making an installation on land of another, but that fact is not controlling here. The appellee contractor had not finished the job of installing the septic tank. The liability of the appellee for the artificial condition created by him upon the land of another while the work remained in his charge was exactly co-extensive with that of the possessor of the land. The rule is pre cisely stated in Vol. II, Restatement, Torts (1934) Sec. 384, as follows:
• “One who on behalf of the possessor of land erects a structure or creates any other condition thereon is subject to the ' same liability, and enjoys the same • immunity from liability, as though he were the possessor of the land, for bodily harm caused to others within and without the land, while the work is in his charge, by the dangerous character of the structure or other condition.”
Clearly, so long as the work by the appellee was unfinished and remained in his charge, the appellee was subject to the same liability to others for harm resulting from that particular work entrusted to him as though he were the possessor of the land. The rule of liability applicable to a possessor, of land .under the circumstances of the instant case is aptly summarized in Section 339, Restatement, supra, which, section is referred to in comment h., under Section 384. That rule prescribed by Section 339 is as follows:
“A possessor of land is subject to liability for bodily harm to young children trespassing thereon caused by a structure or other artificial condition which he maintains upon the land, if
“(a) the place where the condition is maintained is one. upon which the possessor knows or should know that such children are likely to trespass,'and
“(b) the condition is one of which the possessor knows or should know and which he realizes or should realize as involving an unreasonable risk of death or serious bodily harm to such children, and
“(c) the children because of . their youth do not discover the condition or realize the risk involved in intermed-dling in it or in coming within the area made dangerous by it, and
“(d) the utility to the possessor of maintaining the condition is slight as compared to the risk to young children involved therein.”
The circumstances of the instant case considered in the light of Carter v. Livesay Window Co., Inc., supra, and the rules of the Restatement of Torts quoted, supra, show clearly that it cannot be said as a matter of law there is no liability on the part of appellee for the injury to the infant appellant. Therefore, genuine issues of material facts were present in this case and it was error for the trial court to enter a summary judgment for appellee.
Reversed.
HOBSON, ROBERTS and THORNAL, JJ., concur. TERRELL, THOMAS and SEBRING, JJ., dissent.
TERRELL, Justice
(dissenting).
I think this case is ruled by Newby v. West Palm Beach Water Co., Fla., 47 So. 2d 527, Fields v. Quillian, Fla., 74 So. 2d 230 and United Zinc & Chemical Co. v. Britt, 258 U.S. 268, 42 S.Ct. 299, 66 L.Ed. 615, and being so the judgment should be affirmed.
I therefore dissent.
THOMAS and SEBRING, JJ., concur.
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Marks v. Delcastillo, 386 So. 2d 1259 (Fla. 3d DCA 1980)…namite caps secured from a steel locker 300 feet from the trailer which bore signs of having been broken into. . As the “occupier” or “possessor” of the property, Marks Brothers stood in the shoes of the owner. See Cockerham v. R. E. Vaughan, Inc., 82 So. 2d 890 (Fla.1955). . Because of this holding, it is unnecessary to consider whether the defendants’ actions may have amounted to wanton and willful misconduct. We also do not reach the question of whether licensees may recover upon a showing of a breach…
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Tucker Bros., Inc. v. Menard, 90 So. 2d 908 (Fla. 1956)…guard against the possibility of the particular injury that here apparently resulted. There is little, if anything, to distinguish this case from Carter v. Livesay Window Co., Fla.1954, 73 So. 2d 411; and Cockerham v. R. E. Vaughan, Inc., Fla.1955, 82 So. 2d 890. Appellants’ contention that there was no direct and positive proof that the child was injured on the Tucker land has caused us more concern. It is true that no one testified that he actually saw the child on this particular lot at the time of his…
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Concrete Constr., Inc. v. Petterson, 216 So. 2d 221 (Fla. 1968)…egligence. Gross negligence simply defined is failure to use slight care. A portion of the opinion under review, challenging our attention reads as follows: “ * * * Before Florida adopted Restatement, § 339, Cockerham v. R. E. Vaughan [Inc., Fla., 82 So. 2d 890], supra, a requirement of the doctrine of ‘attractive nuisance’ was premised upon an allurement or attraction to the child to the land. This factor is now eliminated from the Restatement of Torts.” [*223] Although we often cite the Restatement in su…1 / 3
Previewing 3 of 27 citing cases — full citator treatment, depth of discussion, and citing context are member features.
Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligenceAuthorities Cited
- United Zinc & Chem. Co. v. Britt, 258 U.S. 268 (U.S. 1922)
- Alligood v. Blanche Rogers, 73 So. 2d 411 (Fla. 1954)
- Newby v. W. Palm Beach Water Co., 47 So.2d 527 (Fla. 1950)
- Fields v. Quillian, 74 So. 2d 230 (Fla. 1954)