Gonzalez v. Mathis

Summary

The California Supreme Court held that a landowner who hires an independent contractor is not liable for injuries caused by a known hazard on the premises when the contractor could not avoid the hazard with reasonable safety precautions, absent the landowner's retained control that affirmatively contributes to the injury; therefore it reversed the Court of Appeal and remanded with instructions to affirm the trial court’s summary‑judgment ruling.