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Parisi v. Loewen Development of Wappinger Falls

Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, Second Department
Mar 22, 2004
5 A.D.3d 648 (N.Y. App. Div. 2004)

Opinion

2003-00166.

Decided March 22, 2004.

In an action to recover damages for personal injuries, the plaintiff appeals from an order of the Supreme Court, Westchester County (Nicolai, J.), entered November 27, 2002, which granted the motion of the defendant Howard Loewentheil, Inc., for summary judgment dismissing the complaint insofar as asserted against it.

Loft Zarkin, New York, N.Y. (Jeffrey Melcer and Chris Crawford of counsel), for appellant.

Gary A. Cusano, Tarrytown, N.Y. (Edwin B. Winder and Melissa Weinberg of counsel), for respondent.

Before: SONDRA MILLER, J.P., DANIEL F. LUCIANO, THOMAS A. ADAMS, SANDRA L. TOWNES, JJ.


DECISION ORDER

ORDERED that the order is affirmed, with costs.

The plaintiff injured his left hand while disassembling a crane at a construction site where the defendant Howard Loewentheil, Inc. (hereinafter Loewentheil), was the general contractor. The plaintiff commenced this action against several parties, including Loewentheil, alleging violations of Labor Law §§ 200 and 241(6). Thereafter, Loewentheil moved for summary judgment dismissing the complaint insofar as asserted against it.

The Supreme Court correctly granted Loewentheil's motion for summary judgment dismissing the plaintiff's Labor Law § 200 claim insofar as asserted against it. "To establish liability against an owner or general contractor pursuant to Labor Law § 200, it must be established that the owner or general contractor exercised supervision and control over the work performed at the site, or had actual or constructive notice of the allegedly unsafe condition" ( Dennis v. City of New York, 304 A.D.2d 611; see Lara v. Saint John's Univ., 289 A.D.2d 457; Cuartas v. Kourkoumelis, 265 A.D.2d 293, 294). Additionally, for liability to be imposed, the owner or general contractor must have directed and controlled the manner in which the work was performed, not merely possessed general supervisory authority ( see Dennis v. City of New York, supra; Cuartas v. Kourkoumelis, supra). As to the plaintiff's Labor Law § 200 claim, Loewentheil established its prima facie entitlement to judgment as a matter of law by demonstrating it had neither direct control and supervision over the disassembling of the crane, nor notice of the alleged dangerous condition. In opposition, the plaintiffs failed to raise a triable issue of fact.

The Supreme Court also correctly granted Loewentheil's motion for summary judgment dismissing the plaintiff's Labor Law § 241(6) claim insofar as asserted against it. To prevail under Labor Law § 241(6), a plaintiff must establish the violation of an Industrial Code provision which sets forth a specific standard of conduct ( see Ross v. Curtis-Palmer Hydro-Elec. Co., 81 N.Y.2d 494, 501-505; Akins v. Baker, 247 A.D.2d 562; Vernieri v. Empire Realty Co., 219 A.D.2d 593, 597). Loewentheil established its prima facie entitlement to summary judgment as a matter of law dismissing the plaintiff's Labor Law § 241(6) claim insofar as asserted against it by demonstrating that the Industrial Code provision on which the claim was premised was inapplicable to the facts of this case. In opposition, the plaintiff failed to raise a triable issue of fact.

S. MILLER, J.P., LUCIANO, ADAMS and TOWNES, JJ., concur.


Summaries of

Parisi v. Loewen Development of Wappinger Falls

Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, Second Department
Mar 22, 2004
5 A.D.3d 648 (N.Y. App. Div. 2004)
Case details for

Parisi v. Loewen Development of Wappinger Falls

Case Details

Full title:MICHAEL PARISI, appellant, v. LOEWEN DEVELOPMENT OF WAPPINGER FALLS, LP…

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

Date published: Mar 22, 2004

Citations

5 A.D.3d 648 (N.Y. App. Div. 2004)
774 N.Y.S.2d 747

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