Seventh Circuit Upholds Summary Judgment for Construction Contractors, Finding No Duty Owed to Plaintiff

In Jeffords v. BP Products North America Inc., the Seventh Circuit affirmed summary judgment for the defendants, holding that no duty of care existed between the refinery owner, construction managers, and a crane operator injured on the job. Applying Indiana law, the court emphasized that contractual language and actual control over safety—not general involvement in a construction project—determine whether a duty arises. Because the relevant contracts mirrored those previously found insufficient to impose safety obligations, and because OSHA regulations did not expand common-law duties, the defendants were not liable as a matter of law.