CACI No. 1009D. Liability to Employees of Independent Contractors for Unsafe Conditions - Defective Equipment
Judicial Council of California Civil Jury Instructions (2024 edition)
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1009D.Liability to Employees of Independent Contractors for
Unsafe Conditions - Defective Equipment
[Name of plaintiff] claims that [he/she/nonbinary pronoun] was harmed by
an unsafe condition while employed by [name of plaintiff’s employer] and
working on [name of defendant]’s property. To establish this claim, [name
of plaintiff] must prove all of the following:
1. That [name of defendant] [owned/leased/occupied/controlled] the
property;
2. That [name of defendant] negligently provided unsafe equipment
that contributed to [name of plaintiff]’s injuries;
3. That [name of plaintiff] was harmed; and
4. That [name of defendant]’s conduct was a substantial factor in
causing [name of plaintiff]’s harm.
Derived from CACI No. 1009B April 2009; Revised December 2011
Directions for Use
This instruction is for use if a dangerous condition on property causes injury to an
employee of an independent contractor hired to perform work on the property. The
basis of liability is that the defendant provided defective equipment. For an
instruction for injuries to others due to a concealed condition, see CACI No. 1003,
Unsafe Conditions. For an instruction for injuries based on unsafe concealed
conditions not discoverable by the plaintiff’s employer, see CACI No. 1009A,
Liability to Employees of Independent Contractors for Unsafe Concealed
Conditions. For an instruction for injuries based on the hirer’s retained control over
the contractor’s performance of work, see CACI No. 1009B, Liability to Employees
of Independent Contractors for Unsafe Conditions - Retained Control.
See also the Vicarious Responsibility Series, CACI No. 3700 et seq., for instructions
on the liability of a hirer for the acts of an independent contractor.
Sources and Authority
• “[W]hen a hirer of an independent contractor, by negligently furnishing unsafe
equipment to the contractor, affirmatively contributes to the injury of an
employee of the contractor, the hirer should be liable to the employee for the
consequences of the hirer’s own negligence.” (Elsner v. Uveges (2004) 34
Cal.4th 915, 937 [22 Cal.Rptr.3d 530, 102 P.3d 915].)
• “ ‘[W]here the hiring party actively contributes to the injury by supplying
defective equipment, it is the hiring party’s own negligence that renders it liable,
not that of the contractor.’ ” (McKown v. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (2002) 27 Cal.4th
219, 225 [115 Cal.Rptr.2d 868, 38 P.3d 1094], internal citation omitted.)
662
Secondary Sources
6 Witkin, Summary of California Law (11th ed. 2017) Torts, § 1259
1 Levy et al., California Torts, Ch. 15, General Premises Liability, § 15.08
(Matthew Bender)
11 California Real Estate Law and Practice, Ch. 381, Tort Liability of Property
Owners, § 381.23 (Matthew Bender)
36 California Forms of Pleading and Practice, Ch. 421, Premises Liability, § 421.15
(Matthew Bender)
17 California Points and Authorities, Ch. 178, Premises Liability, § 178.24 (Matthew
Bender)
PREMISES LIABILITY CACI No. 1009D
663
© Judicial Council of California.
