Sanchez v. Consolidated Edison Co. of N.Y., Inc.

2024 NY Slip Op 33223(U)
New York Supreme Court, New York County·Decided September 16, 2024·No. Index No. 150985/2021·Unpublished

Opinion

Sanchez v Consolidated Edison Co. of N.Y., Inc.

2024 NY Slip Op 33223(U)

September 16, 2024

Supreme Court, New York County Docket Number: Index No. 150985/2021 Judge: Paul A. Goetz

Cases posted with a "30000" identifier, i.e., 2013 NY Slip Op 30001(U), are republished from various New York State and local government sources, including the New York State Unified Court System's eCourts Service. This opinion is uncorrected and not selected for official publication.

NYSCEF DOC. NO. 111 RECEIVED NYSCEF: 09/16/2024

SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK NEW YORK COUNTY

PRESENT: HON. PAUL A. GOETZ PART 47 Justice

----------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------X INDEX NO. 150985/2021 HERNANDO SANCHEZ

MOTION DATE 03/07/2023 Plaintiff,

MOTION SEQ. NO. 002 - V -

CONSOLIDATED EDISON COMPANY OF NEW YORK, DECISION + ORDER ON

INC.,

MOTION

Defendant.

------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------X

The following e-filed documents, listed by NYSCEF document number (Motion 002) 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68,69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80,81, 82, 83, 84, 85,86,87, 88,89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99,100,101,103,104,105,106,107 were read on this motion to/for JUDGMENT-SUMMARY

Upon the foregoing documents, it is In this personal injury Labor Law action, defendant, Consolidated Edison Company of New York, Inc. ("Con Ed") moves for summary judgment seeking dismissal of plaintiffs causes of action for Labor Law§§ 200, 240(1) and 241(6). Plaintiff opposes the motion and cross- moves for partial summary judgment for his Labor Law § 240( 1) and Labor Law § 241 (6) causes of action.

BACKGROUND

Con Ed owned a warehouse located at 95 29th Street, Brooklyn, NY (NYSCEF Doc No 63 at ,i 2-3). Con Ed hired non-party Breeze National Inc. ("Breeze") to carry out demolition work at the premises (id. at ,i 3). Plaintiff was a Breeze employee who was working at the premises on January 20, 2021 (id. at ,i 1). That day, plaintiff was tasked with cleaning up and picking up debris during demolition (id. at ,i 8). Plaintiff was working alongside another employee who was operating a Bobcat construction vehicle equipped with a shovel/scooper

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which was used to pick up and move large pieces of debris (id. at ,i 9). Plaintiff was required to pick up debris by hand that could not be picked up with the Bobcat (id. at ,i 11 ). Plaintiff alleges that while he was picking up debris, the Bobcat lifted up a cut cable on the ground which got caught on his foot lifting him into the air, causing him to fall onto his head and back (NYSCEF Doc No 63 at ,i 12).

DISCUSSION

Summary Judgment Standard "It is well settled that 'the proponent of a summary judgment motion must make a prima facie showing of entitlement to judgment as a matter of law, tendering sufficient evidence to demonstrate the absence of any material issues of fact."' (Pullman v Silverman, 28 NY3d 1060, 1062 [2016], quoting Alvarez v Prospect Hosp., 68 NY2d 320,324 [1986]). "Failure to make such showing requires denial of the motion, regardless of the sufficiency of the opposing papers." (Winegrad v New York Univ. Med. Ctr., 64 NY2d 851, 853 [1985] [internal citations omitted]). "Once such a prima facie showing has been made, the burden shifts to the party opposing the motion to produce evidentiary proof in admissible form sufficient to raise material issues of fact which require a trial of the action." (Cabrera v Rodriguez, 72 AD3d 553, 553-554 [1st Dept 2010], citing Alvarez, 68 NY2d at 342).

"The court's function on a motion for summary judgment is merely to determine if any triable issues exist, not to determine the merits of any such issues or to assess credibility." (Meridian Mgmt. Corp. v Cristi Cleaning Serv. Corp., 70 AD3d 508, 510-511 [1st Dept 2010] [internal citations omitted]). The evidence presented in a summary judgment motion must be examined "in the light most favorable to the non-moving party" (Schmidt v One New York Plaza Co., 153 AD3d 427,428 [2017], quoting Ortiz v Varsity Holdings, LLC, 18 NY3d 335, 339

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[2011]) and bare allegations or conclusory assertions are insufficient to create genuine issues of fact (Rotuba Extruders v Ceppos, 46 NY2d 223,231 [1978]). If there is any doubt as to the existence of a triable fact, the motion for summary judgment must be denied (id.). Labor Law§ 200 and Common Law Negligence Con Ed argues that plaintiff's Labor Law § 200 cause of action must be dismissed because the alleged injury occurred because of the means and methods employed to perform the work, and it did not exercise supervisory control over plaintiff's work. Plaintiff argues that there are questions of fact regarding whether Con Ed controlled the injury producing work. Plaintiff also argues that his Labor Law § 200 claim is viable under an unsafe condition theory of liability which does not require supervisory control.

Labor Law § 200(1) states that:

All places to which this chapter applies shall be so constructed, equipped, arranged, operated and conducted as to provide reasonable and adequate protection to the lives, health and safety of all persons employed therein or lawfully frequenting such places.

All machinery, equipment, and devices in such places shall be so placed, operated, guarded, and lighted as to provide reasonable and adequate protection to all such persons. The board may make rules to carry into effect the provisions of this section.

"Labor Law § 200(1) is a codification of the common-law duty of an owner or general contractor to provide workers with a safe place to work" ( Ortega v Puccia, 57 AD3d 54, 60 [2d Dept 2008]). "Cases involving Labor Law§ 200 fall into two broad categories: namely, those where workers are injured as a result of dangerous or defective premises conditions at a worksite, and those involving the manner in which the work is performed" (id. at 61)."Where a premises condition is at issue, property owners may be held liable for a violation of Labor Law § 200 if the owner either created the dangerous condition that caused the accident or had actual or constructive notice of the dangerous condition that caused the accident" (id.). When the defect

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which causes an injury is a temporary piece of equipment then the means and methods analysis is proper (see Cappabianca v Skanska USA Bldg. Inc., 99 AD3d 139 [1st Dept 2012] [finding that a protruding bolt which was not removed after a temporary installation was removed was not a "defect inherent in the policy" and a means and method analysis was used]).

In contrast for a claim arising "out of alleged defects or dangers in the methods or materials of the work, recovery against the owner or general contractor cannot be had ... unless it is shown that the party to be charged had the authority to supervise or control the performance of the work" (id.). Further, "no liability will attach to the owner solely because it may have had notice of the allegedly unsafe manner in which work was performed" (Dennis v City ofNew York, 304 AD2d 611, 611 [2d Dept 2003]). "Where a defect is not inherent but is created by the manner in which the work is performed, the claim under Labor Law § 200 is one for means and methods and not one for a dangerous condition existing on the premises" (Villanueva v 114 Fifth Ave. Assoc. LLC, 162 AD3d 404,406 [1st Dept 2018]).

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