Ryan v. Ballard Marine, LLC

CourtDistrict Court, S.D. New York
DecidedMarch 19, 2025
Docket7:20-cv-01889
StatusUnknown

This text of Ryan v. Ballard Marine, LLC (Ryan v. Ballard Marine, LLC) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Ryan v. Ballard Marine, LLC, (S.D.N.Y. 2025).

Opinion

DOCUMENT ELECTRONICALLY FILED UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT DOC #: SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK DATE FILED: 3/19/2025 MARK RYAN, Plaintiff, V. 7:20-CV-01889 (NSR) BALLARD MARINE, LLC, BALLARD MARINE CONSTRUCTION, LLC, OPINION & ORDER TAPPAN ZEE CONSTRUCTORS, LLC, RESOLVE MARINE SERVICES, INC., and RESOLVE MARINE GROUP, INC., Defendants.

NELSON S. ROMAN, United States District Judge: Plaintiff Mark Ryan (the “Plaintiff’) brings this action under the common law, the Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act (the “LHWCA”), and the New York Labor Law (“NYLL”) against Ballard Marine, LLC, Ballard Marine Construction, LLC, Tappan Zee Constructors, LLC, Resolve Marine Services, Inc., and Resolve Marine Group, Inc. (collectively, the “Defendants”). Plaintiff claims that Defendants (1) furnished him with an unseaworthy vessel; (2) committed acts of negligence; (3) owe him compensation under the LHWCA; and (4) violated various sections of the NYLL. Presently before the Court is Defendant Tappan Zee Constructors LLC (hereinafter “TZC”), Defendant Resolve Marine Services, Inc., and Defendant Resolves Marine Group Inc.’s (hereinafter “Resolve”) motion for summary judgment (the “Motion”). TZC and Resolve both move for summary judgment on Plaintiff's claims of unseaworthiness, negligence, LHWCA, and NYLL violations. Resolve and TZC also both move for cross-claims against each other for indemnity. For the following reasons, the Court GRANTS Defendant Tappan Zee Constructors LLC motion for summary judgment in part and DENIES Defendant Tappan Zee Constructors LLC

motion for summary judgment in part. The Court GRANTS Defendant Resolve’s motion for summary judgment in full. BACKGROUND This dispute arises out of a construction accident related to demolition of the Tappan Zee

Bridge. Defendants were contracted to assist with demolition of a portion of the Tappan Zee Bridge called the East Anchor Span (“EAS”). TZC acted as the general contractor on the project and the other Defendants were subcontractors. Plaintiff was an employee of Ballard Marine LLC (hereinafter “Ballard”) which was contracted to provide commercial diving services related to the EAS. Resolve was also contracted by TZC to perform salvage services on the EAS. Resolve created the demolition plan for the EAS where the structure would be toppled into the Hudson River using explosives and then removed from the Hudson using a submersible barge. Prior to the demolition, Resolve laid out several chains between two barges that were located on either side of the EAS. When the EAS fell, it was cradled and left suspended in a “chain basket” created by the chains that were strung from either barge. The chains were then tightened to partially

lift the EAS out of the water so that commercial divers could then dive below the surface and sheer off hanging debris to allow the remaining structure to be hauled away safely. Plaintiff was one of those divers contracted to perform sheering work. On May 20, 2019, Plaintiff was performing sheering work while diving next to the EAS. Plaintiff cut a lateral beam from the EAS and then placed his hand on the spot of the cut to confirm its removal. Plaintiff’s hand was caught on a pinchpoint between the EAS and the barge, which severed several of his fingers. The barges were owned by TZC but manned by employees of Ballard at the time of the accident. The barge was outfitted with BlueView Sonar that was owned by TZC but made available to Ballard upon request. PROCEDURAL HISTORY Plaintiff filed this action on March 3, 2020 alleging violations of the common law, the LHWCA, and the NYLL. (ECF No. 1.) Pursuant to the Court’s order on October 4, 2022 (ECF No. 78), a full round of summary judgment briefing was filed on October 7, 2022. (ECF Nos. 79-

94.) On June 7, 2023, the Court received a status report from the parties that they had reached a settlement agreement. (ECF No. 95.) Following that status report, the Court issued an order rendering the motion for summary judgment moot. (ECF No. 96.) On April 24, 2024, TZC filed another status report informing the Court that the parties had failed to reach a settlement agreement. (ECF No. 100.) On May 6, 2024, the Court issued an order directing the parties to re- file all summary judgment papers on or before May 28, 2024. (ECF No. 101.) On May 24, 2024, Defendant Resolve re-filed their summary judgment papers. (ECF Nos. 102-105.) No other party filed motion papers per the Court’s May 6, 2024 order. On February 25, 2025, the Court notified the parties that the Court was in receipt of Resolve’s motion papers, but that no other party had re-filed their papers as previously directed. In its correspondence with the parties, the Court

provided one last opportunity to re-file any motion papers that were to be considered and informed the parties that they had until February 27, 2025 to do so. On February 27, 2025, TZC re-filed their motion papers for summary judgment. As of the date of this opinion Plaintiff has not filed any opposition to TZC or Resolve. LEGAL STANDARDS Under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 56(c), summary judgment must be granted if “there is no genuine issue of material fact and ... the moving party is entitled to a judgment as a matter of law.” Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 323 n. 4 (1986). “[G]enuineness runs to whether disputed factual issues can reasonably be resolved in favor of either party, [while] materiality runs to whether the dispute matters, i.e., whether it concerns facts that can affect the outcome under the applicable substantive law.” Mitchell v. Washingtonville Cent. Sch. Dist., 190 F.3d 1, 5 (2d Cir. 1999) (internal quotations and citations omitted). In order to prove that a genuine issue of material fact exists, a plaintiff “may not rest upon the mere allegations or

denials of the pleading[s],” but must by affidavit or otherwise “set forth specific facts showing that there is a genuine issue for trial.” Fed. R. Civ. P. 56(e). “Conclusory statements, conjecture or speculation by the party resisting the motion will not defeat summary judgment.” Kulak v. City of New York, 88 F.3d 63, 71 (2d Cir. 1996). Courts must resolve all ambiguities and draw all reasonable factual inferences in favor of the non-moving party. See Nora Beverages, Inc. v. Perrier Group of Am., Inc., 164 F.3d 736, 742 (2d Cir. 1998). The moving party bears the initial burden of demonstrating an absence of genuine issues of material fact. See Schwapp v. Town of Avon, 118 F.3d 106, 110 (2d Cir. 1997). If the initial burden is met, the non-moving party “must produce specific facts indicating that a genuine issue of fact exists. If the evidence [presented by the non-moving party] is merely colorable, or is

not significantly probative, summary judgment may be granted.” Scotto v. Almenas, 143 F.3d 105, 114 (2d Cir. 1998) (internal quotations and citations omitted) (alteration in original). When a motion is unopposed, as here, summary judgment may still be entered against a party, if appropriate. See Rule 56(e); Graham v. Lewinski, 848 F.2d 342, 344 (2d Cir. 1988). DISCUSSION Unseaworthiness Plaintiff brings a claim of unseaworthiness against both TZC and Resolve. An owner of a vessel is strictly liable for an injury suffered by a seaman as the result of the unseaworthiness of the vessel. See Reed v. S.S.

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