| Portillo v Mark |
| 2012 NY Slip Op 52118(U) [37 Misc 3d 135(A)] |
| Decided on November 15, 2012 |
| Appellate Term, First Department |
| Published by New York State Law Reporting Bureau pursuant to Judiciary Law § 431. |
| This opinion is uncorrected and will not be published in the printed Official Reports. |
Plaintiff, as limited by his briefs, appeals from that portion of an order of the Civil
Court of the City of New York, New York County (Arthur F. Engoron, J.), dated June
23, 2011, which denied his motion for summary judgment as to liability on his Labor
Law § 240(1) and § 241(6) claims.
Per Curiam.
Order (Arthur F. Engoron, J.), dated June 23, 2011, insofar as appealed from, affirmed, with $10 costs.
Although plaintiff demonstrated a prima facie entitlement to summary judgment on
his Labor Law § 240(1) claim via evidence tending to show that he was injured
when the open, unsecured A-frame ladder on which he was standing fell when it was hit
by falling debris (see Carchipulla v 6661 Broadway Partners, LLC, 95 AD3d 573
[2012]), defendants raised a triable issue of fact in their opposing submissions. The
affidavit and deposition testimony of plaintiff's coworker, who stated that he saw
plaintiff lean a closed A-frame ladder against a wall and climb to the "very top" of the
ladder "in its folded position," and that plaintiff ignored the coworker's warning not to
stand on top of the folded ladder, raised triable issues as to whether plaintiff's actions
were the sole proximate cause of his injuries (see Santiago v Fred-Doug 117,
L.L.C., 68 AD3d 555 [2009]). Nor was plaintiff entitled to summary judgment on
his Labor Law § 241(6) claim. Although plaintiff submitted proof tending to
establish a violation of Industrial Code (12 NYCRR) § 23-1.21(b)(4)(iv), a factual
issue remains as to whether any such violation was the proximate cause of plaintiff's
injury, since there was evidence that plaintiff was comparatively negligent in misusing
the "leaning" ladder (see Riffo-Velozo v Village of Scarsdale, 68 AD3d 839, 842
[2009]; Montalvo v J. Petrocelli Constr., Inc., 8 AD3d 173,
[*2]
THIS CONSTITUTES THE DECISION AND ORDER OF THE COURT.
Decision Date: November 15, 2012