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California court says landlord protected from contractor injury suit - Business Insurance Skip to content Register for free Search Search Log In Risk Management Cyber Risks Pricing Trends Mergers & Acquisitions Technology Sponsored Content WSIA RISKWORLD Workers Comp & Safety Workers Comp Cost Control Pain Management Workplace Safety International EMEA Asia-Pacific Latin America People Events BI Intelligence Top 100 Agents & Brokers Best Places to Work 2026 Lists Directories Insurance Pricing BI Stock Index Magazine Current Issue Past Issues Subscribe Women to Watch ALL INsurance Resources Risk Perspectives Sponsored Content Webinars White Papers Risk Management Cyber Risks Pricing Trends Mergers & Acquisitions Technology Sponsored Content WSIA RISKWORLD Workers Comp & Safety Workers Comp Cost Control Pain Management Workplace Safety International EMEA Asia-Pacific Latin America People Events BI Intelligence Top 100 Agents & Brokers Best Places to Work 2026 Lists Directories Insurance Pricing BI Stock Index Magazine Current Issue Past Issues Subscribe Women to Watch ALL INsurance Resources Risk Perspectives Sponsored Content Webinars White Papers Risk Management Cyber Risks Pricing Trends Mergers & Acquisitions Technology Sponsored Content WSIA RISKWORLD Workers Comp & Safety Workers Comp Cost Control Pain Management Workplace Safety International EMEA Asia-Pacific Latin America People Events BI Intelligence Top 100 Agents & Brokers Best Places to Work 2026 Lists Directories Insurance Pricing BI Stock Index Magazine Current Issue Past Issues Subscribe Women to Watch ALL INsurance Resources Risk Perspectives Sponsored Content Webinars White Papers Risk Management Cyber Risks Pricing Trends Mergers & Acquisitions Technology Sponsored Content WSIA RISKWORLD Workers Comp & Safety Workers Comp Cost Control Pain Management Workplace Safety International EMEA Asia-Pacific Latin America People Events BI Intelligence Top 100 Agents & Brokers Best Places to Work 2026 Lists Directories Insurance Pricing BI Stock Index Magazine Current Issue Past Issues Subscribe Women to Watch ALL INsurance Resources Risk Perspectives Sponsored Content Webinars White Papers California court says landlord protected from contractor injury suit by Louise Esola Claims Disputes , Workplace Safety Aug 28, 2026 A California doctrine that protects companies that hire independent contractors from liability for injuries to contractors’ workers can also shield property owners who did not directly hire the contractor, a state appeals court ruled. In Schurman Family Company TIC v. Superior Court of Alameda County; Phuokhao Bounxaysana et al. , the California Court of Appeal, 1st Appellate District, reversed a trial court ruling on Wednesday that had allowed a worker’s negligence and premises liability claims against a warehouse owner to proceed. Schurman Family Co. owned an Oakland warehouse and leased portions of the property to Verizon for communications equipment. Verizon hired L.D. Strobel as an independent contractor to perform work on the site. In June 2021, Strobel employee Phuokhao Bounxaysana was asked to check equipment located in an enclosure on the warehouse roof. After reaching the enclosure without a screwdriver needed to open its access door, he left a steel walkway to find another way inside. He stepped onto a sloped portion of the roof, fell through a skylight and suffered serious injuries. Mr. Bounxaysana sued Verizon and Schurman for negligence and premises liability. A trial court granted summary judgment to Verizon under California’s Privette doctrine, which generally shields entities that hire independent contractors from liability for contractors’ workplace injuries because responsibility for workplace safety is delegated to the contractor. The trial court, however, refused to extend the doctrine to Schurman because the landlord had not hired Strobel. The appeals court disagreed, holding that the doctrine can extend to nonhiring entities within the “chain of delegation.” The court found that Schurman’s lease expressly permitted Verizon to install, operate, and maintain equipment at the property, and Verizon subsequently hired Strobel to perform that work. Strobel also knew about the skylights before the accident. It would be “anomalous and inequitable,” the court said, to potentially impose greater liability on Schurman, which did not control the worker’s activities, than on Verizon or Strobel. The court held that when a lease contemplates work by an independent contractor and the tenant hires a contractor to perform that work, the landlord falls within the chain of delegation and is protected by the Privette doctrine unless a recognized exception applies. The appeals court ordered the trial court to enter summary judgment in Schurman’s favor. Related News Claims adjusters sour on AI August 28, 2026 Hub hires former law firm partner for tax role August 28, 2026 Guardianship costs tied to workers comp claim reimbursable: Court August 28, 2026 Nepal flood exposes insurers to major hydropower claims August 28, 2026 Millions of travelers’ information breached August 28, 2026 Peak Re’s net income climbs August 28, 2026 Australian insurers’ profit slips August 28, 2026 Ageas reports higher profit August 28, 2026 ILS growth drives softer reinsurance pricing: A.M. 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