Afoa v. Port of Seattle

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In general, one who employs an independent contractor is not liable for injuries sustained by an independent contractor’s employees. But a well established exception to the general rule is where an em*237ployer of an independent contractor retains control over some part of the work, in which case the employer has a duty within the scope of that control to provide a safe place to work. At issue in this case is whether these same rules apply where the contract between the Port of Seattle (Port) and appellant Brandon Afoa’s employer is a “license agreement.” We hold that they do and that questions…