Nos. 96-3159, 96-3597

 

 

STATE OF WISCONSIN

IN COURT OF APPEALS

DISTRICT III

 

 

Naomi Anderson, individually and as the estate

personal representative of the Estate of Todd

Allan Anderson,

 

                             Plaintiff,

 

              v.

 

Con/Spec Corporation,

 

                             Defendant-

                             Third Party Plaintiff,

 

American Family Insurance,

 

                             Defendant,

 

Zappa Brothers and Continental Western

Insurance Company,

 

                             Defendants-Respondents,

 

Donald Baker and Gary Leonard Griffiths,

 

                             Defendant,

 

              v.

 

BE Architects, Inc., and Westfield Insurance

Company,

 

                             Third Party Defendants-

                             Appellants,

 

Bernard G. Stroh, d/b/a Stroh Engineering,

International Insurance Co., Advanced Concrete

& Masonry, CNA Insurance Company,

 

                             Third Party Defendants.

_________________________________________________

 

 

Naomi Anderson, individually and as the 

personal representative of the Estate of Todd

Allan Anderson,

 

                             Plaintiff,

 

              v.

 

Con/Spec Corporation,

 

                             Defendant-

                             Third Party Plaintiff-Appellant,

 

American Family Insurance,

 

                             Defendant-Appellant,

 

Zappa Brothers and Continental Western

Insurance Company,

 

                             Defendants-Respondents,

 

Donald Baker and Gary Leonard Griffiths,

 

                             Defendant,

 

              v.

 

BE Architects, Inc., Westfield Company, Bernard

G. Stroh d/b/a Stroh Engineering, International

Insurance Co., Advanced Concrete and Masonry,

and CNA Insurance Company

 

                             Third Party Defendants.

 

 

 

ERRATA SHEET

 

 

Marilyn L. Graves
Clerk of Court of Appeals
P.O. Box 1688
Madison, WI   53701-1688

 

Court of Appeals District I
633 W. Wisconsin Ave., #1400
Milwaukee, WI   53203-1918

 

Jennifer Krapf
Administrative Assistant
119 Martin Luther King Blvd.
Madison, WI  53703

 

Peg Carlson
Chief Staff Attorney
119 Martin Luther King Blvd.
Madison, WI  53703

 

Court of Appeals District II
2727 N. Grandview Blvd.
Waukesha, WI   53188-1672

 

Court of Appeals District IV
119 Martin Luther King Blvd.
Madison, WI  53703

 

Hon. Eric J. Lundell

St. Croix County Courthouse

Hudson, WI  54016

 

Fred L. Neff

4515 Adoner Road

Minneapolis, MN  55435

 

Dale B. Lindman

Mahoney, Dougherty & Mahoney

801 Park Avenue

Minneapolis, MN  55404

 

Thomas O. Albers

8835 Basswood Road

Eden Prairie, MN  55344

 

Mark A. Fonken

444 Cedar

1900 Conwed Tower

St. Paul, MN  55101

 

Nathan W. Hart

Jardine, Logan & O'Brien, PLLP

444 Cedar Street, #2100

St. Paul, MN  55101

 

Michael J. Modl

Axley Brynelson

P.O. Box 1767

Madison, WI  53701-1767

 

                        PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that the attached page 4 is to be substituted for page 4 in the above-captioned opinion which was released on October 7, 1997.

                        Dated this 15th day of October, 1997.


notwithstanding the verdict (JNOV), and indemnification by Zappa in accordance with their contract.  BE Architects moved for a new trial.  The trial court denied all motions and entered judgment in favor of Zappa and against Con/Spec and BE Architects.  This appeal followed. 

                        Con/Spec and BE Architects both claim the trial court erroneously exercised its discretion when it denied their respective motions for a new trial.  In addition, Con/Spec raises two other issues on appeal.  Con/Spec claims that the trial court erred (1) when it denied its motion for judgment notwithstanding the verdict and (2) when it concluded that Con/Spec was not entitled to indemnification by Zappa.  Because we conclude that the trial court reasonably exercised its discretion by refusing to grant either motion, we affirm the trial court.  Regarding the indemnification agreement between Con/Spec and Zappa, we affirm the trial court because the parties' agreement does not specifically and expressly state that Con/Spec would be indemnified by Zappa where Con/Spec was negligent but Zappa was not.

BACKGROUND

                        This case arose out of an accident at a construction site that resulted in the death of Todd Anderson when the trench he was working in caved in.  Anderson's widow, individually and as personal representative of her husband's estate, brought a wrongful death action against Con/Spec, the general contractor, and Zappa, the excavating subcontractor.  Con/Spec then brought third-party claims against BE Architects, the architect on the project; Bernard Stroh, d/b/a Stroh Engineering, the structural engineer; and Advanced Concrete and Masonry, the  concrete   subcontractor  and  deceased's  employer.    Anderson  subsequently