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Greaves v. Obayashi

Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, First Department
Oct 21, 2008
55 A.D.3d 409 (N.Y. App. Div. 2008)

Summary

In Greaves v Obayashi Corp. (55 AD3d 409, 409 [1st Dept 2008], lv dismissed 12 NY3d 794 [2009]), the worker "was standing on a scaffold, while working on a portion of a concrete wall, when the wall collapsed."

Summary of this case from Gonzalez v. Paramount Grp., Inc.

Opinion

No. 4331.

October 21, 2008.

Order, Supreme Court, New York County (Carol R. Edmead, J.), entered December 19, 2007, which, to the extent appealed from, denied the motions by the respective parties to this appeal for summary judgment as to Labor Law § 240 (1) liability, and granted summary judgment to defendants on plaintiffs Labor Law §§ 200 and 241 (6) claims, unanimously modified, on the law, plaintiff granted summary judgment as to liability on his section 240 (1) claim, and otherwise affirmed, without costs.

Pollack, Pollack, Isaac DeCicco, New York (Brian J. Isaac of counsel), for appellant-respondent.

Zaklukiewicz Puzo Morrissey, LLP, Islip Terrace (Stephen Zaklukiewicz of counsel), for respondents-appellants.

Before: Tom, J.P., Gonzalez, Williams, Moskowitz and Freedman, JJ.


Plaintiff was standing on a scaffold, while working on a portion of a concrete wall, when the wall collapsed. Concrete blocks fell against the scaffold, knocking it over and causing plaintiff to fall to the ground, where blocks fell on top of him, causing injury. The portion of the wall where plaintiff was Working was neither braced nor secured.

The accident clearly fell within the scope of Labor Law § 240 (1), as the evidence shows plaintiff was struck by falling objects that could have been, but were not, adequately secured by one of the devices enumerated in the statute ( see Rocovich v Consolidated Edison Co., 78 NY2d 509, 513-514). His prima facie showing was not rebutted by defendant property owners and general contractor, thus entitling him to summary judgment against them ( Williams v 520 Madison Partnership, 38 AD3d 464; Boyle v 42nd St. Dev. Project, Inc., 38 AD3d 404; LaFleur v Consolidated Edison Co. of N.Y., 221 AD2d 250).

Plaintiffs claim under section 241 (6) may not be premised upon alleged violations of Industrial Code (12 NYCRR) § 23-5.1 (c) and § 23-5.4 (a). The first of these Code sections is insufficiently specific to support a section 241 (6) claim ( see Moutray v Baron, 244 AD2d 618, 619, lv denied 91 NY2d 808), and the second addresses standards for a tubular welded frame scaffold, which plaintiff failed to demonstrate was in use at the time of his injury. None of plaintiffs remaining arguments regarding section 241 (6), nor his claim against the general contractor under Labor Law § 200, were raised in Supreme Court, and are thus unpreserved for appellate review ( see Laboda v VJV Dev. Corp., 296 AD2d 441; Charles v City of New York, 227 AD2d 429, 430, lv denied 88 NY2d 815). Were we to review them at this time, we would find them unavailing.


Summaries of

Greaves v. Obayashi

Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, First Department
Oct 21, 2008
55 A.D.3d 409 (N.Y. App. Div. 2008)

In Greaves v Obayashi Corp. (55 AD3d 409, 409 [1st Dept 2008], lv dismissed 12 NY3d 794 [2009]), the worker "was standing on a scaffold, while working on a portion of a concrete wall, when the wall collapsed."

Summary of this case from Gonzalez v. Paramount Grp., Inc.
Case details for

Greaves v. Obayashi

Case Details

Full title:HENDERSON GREAVES, Appellant-Respondent, v. OBAYASHI CORPORATION et al.…

Court:Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, First Department

Date published: Oct 21, 2008

Citations

55 A.D.3d 409 (N.Y. App. Div. 2008)
2008 N.Y. Slip Op. 7970
866 N.Y.S.2d 47

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