BOWMAN v. WYATT Part-I
<script src="http://www.google-analytics.com/urchin.js" type="text/javascript"> </script> <script type="text/javascript"> _uacct = "UA-1698443-1"; urchinTracker(); </script> <html ><br /> <head><br /> <title>BOWMAN v</title><br /> </head><br /> <body><br /> <div><br /> <br/><b >BOWMAN v. WYATT</b><br /> <br/> <br /> <br/> <br /> <br/> <br /> <br/> <br /> <br/> <br /> <br/> <br /> <br/> <br /> <br/> <br /> <br/>Filed 7/1/10<br /> <br/><b > </b><br /> <br/><b > </b><br /> <br/><b > </b><br /> <br/><b > </b><br /> <br/><b > </b><br /> <br/><b > </b><br /> <br/><b >CERTIFIED FOR PUBLICATION</b><br /> <br/> <br /> <br/> <br /> <br/> <br /> <br/> <br /> <br/> <br /> <br/>IN THE COURT OF APPEAL OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA<br /> <br/> <br /> <br/>SECOND APPELLATE DISTRICT<br /> <br/> <br /> <br/>DIVISION FOUR<br /> <br/> <br /> <br/> <br /> <br/> <br /> <br/> <br /> <br/> <br /> <table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 width=672<br /> ><br /> <tr ><br /> <td width=336 valign=top ><br /> <br/>BARRY A. BOWMAN,<br /> <br/> <br /> <br/> Plaintiff and Respondent,<br /> <br/> <br /> <br/> v.<br /> <br/> <br /> <br/>TOMMIE WYATT, JR.,<br /> et al.,<br /> <br/> <br /> <br/> Defendants and Appellants.<br /> <br/> <br /> </td><br /> <td width=336 valign=top ><br /> <br/> B207468<br /> <br/> <br /> <br/> (Los Angeles County<br><br /> Super. Ct. No. BC329390)<br /> <br/> <br /> </td><br /> </tr><br /> </table><br /> <br/> <br /> <br/> <br /> <br/> <br /> <br/> <br /> <br/> APPEAL<br /> from a judgment of the Superior<br /> Court of Los Angeles<br /> County, Holly E. Kendig, Judge. Affirmed in part; reversed in part.<br /> <br/> Law<br /> Office of Stephen S. Talt and Stephen S. Talt for<br /> Defendant and Appellant Tommie Wyatt, Jr.<br /> <br/> John<br /> P. DeGomez, Greines, Martin, Stein & Richland, Feris M. Greenberger,<br /> Carolyn Oill, and Sheila A. Wirkus for Defendant and Appellant City of Los<br /> Angeles.<br /> <br/> Robert<br /> S. Gerstein, Tourtelot & Butler and Robert H. Tourtelot, and T. Sean Butler<br /> for Plaintiff and Respondent.<br /> <b ><i ><br clear=all ><br /> </i></b><br /> <br/><b<br /> >INTRODUCTION</b><br /> <br/> <br /> <br/> Plaintiff<br /> Barry A. Bowman (plaintiff or Bowman) brought the present action after<br /> suffering devastating<br /> injuries when his motorcycle collided with a dump truck owned and operated<br /> by defendant Tommie Wyatt, Jr. (Wyatt). <br /> The collision occurred shortly after Wyatt delivered a load of asphalt<br /> to a work site of defendant City of Los Angeles (City), with whom Wyatt was under<br /> contract. <br /> <br/>The jury found that Wyatt caused the<br /> accident by negligently making a left turn in front of Bowman's<br /> motorcycle. The jury further found that<br /> Wyatt was a City employee, that the City breached a duty to inspect and<br /> maintain the dump truck's brakes, that the truck was controlled by the City and<br /> was in a dangerous condition, and that the work in which Wyatt was engaged at<br /> the time of the accident involved a special risk of harm. It returned a verdict for Bowman of over<br /> $15 million. <br /> <br/>The City has appealed, contending<br /> that: (1) the jury was misinstructed on<br /> several critical issues, including the factors it was to consider in<br /> determining if Wyatt was an employee or independent contractor; (2) there was<br /> no substantial evidence to support a finding that defects in the dump truck's<br /> brakes were a proximate cause of the accident; (3) as a matter of law, the work<br /> in which Wyatt was engaged did not involve a peculiar risk of harm; and<br /> (4) the trial court erred in deciding as a matter of law that the City was<br /> the dump truck's â€