1st DCA: 'Chain of Delegation' Makes Privette Applicable to Non-Hiring Party

A California appellate court held that the protection provided by the Privette doctrine can travel through a contractual chain of delegation to shield a property owner who did not hire the contractor whose worker was injured. "In conclusion, where a lease agreement expressly contemplates the use of an independent contractor to perform work, and the tenant subsequently hires an independent contractor to perform said work, the non-hiring lessor falls within the chain of delegation and, absent a recognized exception, the Privette doctrine applies to shield the non-hiring lessor from liabili...