Zakowski v. Structure Tone, LLC

2025 NY Slip Op 31293(U)
CourtNew York Supreme Court, Kings County
DecidedApril 15, 2025
DocketIndex No. 500092/2021
StatusUnpublished

This text of 2025 NY Slip Op 31293(U) (Zakowski v. Structure Tone, LLC) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering New York Supreme Court, Kings County primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Zakowski v. Structure Tone, LLC, 2025 NY Slip Op 31293(U) (N.Y. Super. Ct. 2025).

Opinion

Zakowski v Structure Tone, LLC 2025 NY Slip Op 31293(U) April 15, 2025 Supreme Court, Kings County Docket Number: Index No. 500092/2021 Judge: Anne J. Swern 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. FILED: KINGS COUNTY CLERK 04/15/2025 03:49 PM INDEX NO. 500092/2021 NYSCEF DOC. NO. 145 RECEIVED NYSCEF: 04/15/2025

Atan IAS Trial Tern1, Part 75 of the Supreme Court of the State of New York, Kings Coµnty, at the Courthouse locatecJ at 360 Adams Street,.Brooklyn, New York on the 15 th day ofApril 2025 PRE SENT: HON.ANNE 1. SWERN, J.S.C.

EUGENE ZAKOWSKI, DECISION & ORDER IndexNo,: 500092/2021 Plaintiff(s), Calendar No.: 49 -against- Motion Seq.: 003 STRUCTURE TONE, LLC, INTEGRATED'HOLDING GROUP LP,.BOSTON PROPERTIES, INC., Return Date: 2/13/2025 CONSOLIDATED CARPETASSOCIATES, LLC, CONSOLIDATED CARPET WORKROOM, LLC, and CONSOLIDATED SPECIALTY, LLC,

Defendant(s).

STRUCTURETONE, LLC,

Third.;.Party Plaintiff,

-against-

ATLAS-ACON ELECTRIC SERVICE CORPORATION,

Third-Party Defendant.

Recitation of the following papers as requited by CPLR 2219(a): Papers Numbered N otiGe ofMotion, A:ffinnation, Affidavits and Exhibits (NYSCEF 95-121) ...................................................... 1, 2 Affirmations, Memorandums of Law and Exhibits in Opposition (NYSCEF 123-13 2) ................................ ,............. 3-8 Reply Affirmations (NYSCEF 13 7,.] 39, 141, 143) .... ,.......................... ;.; . .,.,, 9-12

Upon theforegoirzgpapers anci after pral argument, th? decision and order ofthe Court

is asfoltows:

500092/2021 Pag~lo)9

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Defendants, INTEGRATED HOLDING GROUP LP (Integrated), and BP 399 PARK

AVE LLCi/s/h/a BOSTON PROPERTIES, INC. (BP 399) anddefendant/third.;partyplaintiff,

STRUCTURE TONE 1 LLC (Structure Tone), have moved fliis Court for an Order pursuantto

CPLR § 3212:

a) granting summaryjudgment on the First Cause of Action l.n Plaintiff's Complaint sounding in common law negligence and dismissing sajd First Cause of Action. The motion is granted as to the INTEGRATED{tenant) and 399 BP (owner) and denied as to STRUCTURE TONE (general contractor). · b) granting summaryjudgment on the Second Cause ofActionin Plaintiff's Complaint for violation of Labor Law §§ 200 and dismissing said Second Cause of Action. The motion is granted asto the INTEGRATED (tenant) and399 BP (owner) and STRUCTURE TONE (general contractor). c) granting summary judgment on the Second Cause of Action in Plaintiff's Complaint for violation of Labor Law § § 241 [6] and dismissing said Second Cause of Action. The motion is granted as to the INTEGRATED (tenant) and denied as to 399 BP (owner}and STRUCTURE TONE (general contractor). d) conditionally granting summary judgment to defendant/third-party plaintiff STRUCTURE TONE against third".patfy defendant ATLAS-ACON ELECTRIC SERVICE CORPORATION (ATLAS).for comrnonlaw contribution and indemnification, and contractuaLindemn:ification. The motion is denied. e) conditionally grantingsummary judgment to defendants INTEGRATED, 399 BP AND STRUCTURETONRon their cross claims against defendant CONSOLIDATED CARPET WORKROOM, LLC (Consolidated) for .contractual indemnification: and common law contribution and indemnification. The motion is denied.

Plaintiffcommenced this actionfor personal injuries sustained in the course of his

employment with Atlas alleging common law negligence and violations of Labor §200~ § 240

and§ 241 [6]. 1 Plaintiff alleges that the .1ccident occurred on the 8th floor of the premises known

as. 399 Park Avenue, New York; New York, owned by BP 399 and leased. to defendant.Integrated.

Structure Tone, as· the general con.tractor, executed a subcontract with Atlas for electrical work

1 Plaintiff previously discontinued. his qaus.e of action based on Labor Law § 240.

50009il2021. Page2 o/9

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(NYSCEF 111). The acci4ent happened when plaintiff slipped and fell on carpet glue that was

placedonthe floor ofa pathway by anothe:r subcontractor.

None of the pa:rties have advanced an argumentin opposition to granting Integrated 's

summary judgment. Therefore~ absent any· evidence of common law negligence on the behalf of

the tenant, Integrated, and since Integrated is neither an owner nor general contractor under the

Labor Law, plaintiff's complaintartd all cross-claims, are dismissed in their entiretyagainst it

Labor Law§ 241 (6)

''Labor Law § 241 (6) imposes a nondelegable duty upon owners and contractors to

provide reasonable and adequate protection and safety.to construction workers. A violation of an

explicit and concrete provision of the Industrial Code by a pa:rticipiint in a construction project

constitutes some evidence of negligence, for which the owner or general contractor may be held

vicariously liable" (Bravo v 609 W. 5 6th Street Property; LLC, 234 AD3d 735 [2d Dept. 2025]

[internal quotations and citations omitted]).

This section of the Labor Law is a "hybrid statute" because the first sentence reiterates

the general common-law standard of care, while the secpnd.sentence imposes a nondelegable

duty with respect to compliance with rules of the. Commissioner [Industrial Code] which contain

spec:ific, positive command[s]" (Bazdaric v Almah Partners LLC, 41 NY3d 310, 317 [2024],

citing Ross v Curtis-.Palmer Hydro-Blee. Co., 81 NY2d 494, 503-504, [l993];see also Toussaint

v PortAuth ofN. Y &N.l; 38 NY3d 89, 93 [2022]). Thus, an owner or general contractor is

vicariously liable without regard to fault and in the abs_e11ce of control or supervision of the

worksite once plaintiff establishes a violation of.a.specific and applicable !ndu~trial Code

(Bazdaric v AimahPartners LLC, 41 NY3d 317, citing Rizzuto v L:A. Wenger Cori tr. Co., Inc;, 91

NY2d 343, 348~350; Toussaint v.Port Auih. o/NY..&: N.l; 38 NY3d 94; andNostromvA. W.

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Chesterton Co., 15 NY3d 502, 507 [201 OJ), Finally, "[t]he Industrial Code should be sensibly

interpretecl and applied to effectuate its purpose ofprotecting construction laborers against

hazards in the workplace'' (Bazdaric v A/mah Partners LLC, 41 NY3d 317).

To avoid summary judgment, plaintiff isrequired to demonstrate that "(l)section 23-

1. 7 [d] [sic] applied under the circwnstances; (2) defendants violated that section's specific

commands; (3) this violation alone, or considered with other undisputed factual evidence,

constitutes negligence; and (4) the violation caused plaintiff;s injuries (see Bazdaric vAlmah

Partners LLC, 41 NY3d 318 [italics added; internalquotations omitted]). The motion is denied

as the adhesive was not an integral part of plaintiff's work and when considering the violation

with other undisputed facts, there is a-question ofJact whether movants violated

22 NYCRR§ 23-1.7 [d]and caused plaintiff's injuries (Bazddric vAlmah Partners LLC, 41

NY3d317-318). The evidence establishes that-Structure Tone,as the generalcontractor;had the

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2025 NY Slip Op 31293(U), Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/zakowski-v-structure-tone-llc-nysupctkings-2025.