RUIZ v. BOP 245 PARK LLC (2024)

Order, Supreme Court, New York County (Paul A. Goetz, J.), entered June 13, 2024, which denied plaintiff's motion for summary judgment on liability as to his Labor Law §§ 240(1) and 241(6) claims, unanimously modified, on the law, to the extent of granting plaintiff's motion as to liability on his Labor Law § 240(1) claim, and otherwise affirmed, without costs.

Plaintiff made a prima facie showing of entitlement to judgment as a matter of law on his Labor Law § 240(1) cause of action by submitting undisputed evidence that he fell off a scaffold, which lacked guardrails that would have prevented his fall, after the scaffold moved while he was standing atop it (see e.g., Celaj v. Cornell, 144 A.D.3d 590, 42 N.Y.S.3d 25 [1st Dept. 2016];  Martinez v. ST–DIL LLC, 192 A.D.3d 511, 144 N.Y.S.3d 687 [1st Dept. 2021];  Rroku v. West Rac Contr. Corp., 164 A.D.3d 1176, 1177, 82 N.Y.S.3d 709 [1st Dept. 2018]).

Defendants failed to raise an issue of fact in opposition as to whether plaintiff was a recalcitrant worker.  Although defendants presented an affidavit from the principal of nonparty contactor and plaintiff's employer stating that there was a standing order for its employees to use only baker scaffolds with safety railings, that there were safety railings available at the worksite, and that safety railings would be provided upon request, this testimony does not suffice to raise an issue of fact.  On the contrary, the principal expressly acknowledged that he was not present on the worksite on the date of plaintiff's injury, and he offered no basis to find that he personally knew sufficient guardrails were present at the worksite for plaintiff to use on the scaffold (see e.g. Bialucha v. City of New York, 222 A.D.3d 511, 511, 199 N.Y.S.3d 507 [1st Dept. 2023];  Yocum v. United States Tennis Assn. Inc., 208 A.D.3d 1124, 1124–1125, 176 N.Y.S.3d 12 [1st Dept. 2022]).  Indeed, plaintiff testified that there were no guardrails available for use on the date of the incident.

Contrary to defendants’ position, the Bellevue emergency room record does not raise a triable issue as to plaintiff's veracity (see Martinez v. ST–DIL LLC, 192 A.D.3d 511, 512, 144 N.Y.S.3d 687 [1st Dept. 2021];  Ordonez v. One City Block, LLC, 191 A.D.3d 412, 413, 137 N.Y.S.3d 693 [1st Dept. 2021]).

Because plaintiff demonstrated entitlement to partial summary judgment on his Labor Law 240(1) cause of action, we need not reach his arguments regarding his Labor Law § 241(6) cause of action, as those arguments are academic (see Malan v. FSJ Realty Group II LLC, 213 A.D.3d 541, 542, 185 N.Y.S.3d 5 [1st Dept. 2023];  Bialucha, 222 A.D.3d at 511, 199 N.Y.S.3d 507).

We have considered defendant's remaining arguments and find them unavailing.