Rangel v. Brookhaven Constructors, Inc.

With the repeal of the Structural Work Act (see 740 ILCS 150/0.01 (West 1996)), a general contractor’s liability for injury to an independent subcontractor’s employee at a work site will be based on common law negligence principles. Still, the question of who controls the work must be answered before it can be said a duty exists to use reasonable care.

In this case, we find the trial judge correctly determined the general contractor owed no duty to the independent contractor’s employee.

FACTS

Lincoln Lofts, Inc. (Lincoln), owned the building located at 3151 North Lincoln Avenue in Chicago. In an…