Summary
In Muhammad, supra, in affirming the denial of summary judgment to the plaintiff under section 240 (1), the First Department ruled that: "apparent inconsistencies between plaintiff's deposition testimony and his affidavit in support of the motion raise an issue of fact whether the carpenter's stud that allegedly struck plaintiff and caused him to fall from a ladder came from above him, and was thus an elevation-related hazard covered by Labor Law § 240 (1)" (Muhammad, 216 AD2d at 206).
Summary of this case from Sottile v. Eleventh Ave., L.P.Opinion
June 27, 1995
Appeal from the Supreme Court, New York County (Edward Lehner, J.).
We agree with the IAS Court that apparent inconsistencies between plaintiff's deposition testimony and his affidavit in support of the motion raise an issue of fact whether the carpenter's stud that allegedly struck plaintiff and caused him to fall from a ladder came from above him, and was thus an elevation-related hazard covered by Labor Law § 240(1) ( see, Brooks v. City of New York, 212 A.D.2d 435). These inconsistences were neither minor nor immaterial and plaintiff was apparently the only witness to the occurrence ( cf., Robinson v. NAB Constr. Corp., 210 A.D.2d 86, 87). Nowhere in his deposition did plaintiff state, as he did in his affidavit, that the stud fell from above him, or that there were carpenters working above him at the time of the accident, despite having been asked questions directly on point. Clearly, "a bona fide issue exists as to plaintiff's credibility" ( Urrea v. Sedgwick Ave. Assocs., 191 A.D.2d 319, 320).
Concur — Sullivan, J.P., Rosenberger, Kupferman, Ross and Williams, JJ.