Opinion ID: 766741
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: The Plaintiff's Case-In-Chief

Text: 3 Williams testified at trial that, as a B&B mechanic, he was responsible for performing construction on the bridges, buildings, and structures of the LIRR system. One of those duties is to set up temporary platforms, which are aluminum walkways, approximately twelve feet long and three to four feet wide, used to bridge the space over an out-of-service railroad track next to a permanent platform in a station. A temporary platform allows passengers to walk from the permanent station platform across the non-functioning track and board a train on a second track. A temporary platform rests partially on the permanent platform on which it is stored, and partially on two metal support poles located between the operable and inoperable tracks. Thus, in order for a temporary platform to function, it must be pulled out from the permanent platform on which it is stored and connected to the metal support poles. The B&B mechanics must perform this task while standing on track level, approximately fifty inches below the permanent platform on which the temporary platform rests. 4 On August 24, 1996, Williams and two other LIRR employees were assigned to man a temporary platform on the eastbound platform of the Queens Village Station. Williams and one of his co-workers, Salvatore Sboto, pulled out the temporary platform from the permanent platform on which it had been stored. According to Williams, there are no stairs leading to or from the permanent platform to the track level. Accordingly, in order to get back onto the permanent platform from track level, Williams stepped up on a stack of several new railroad ties placed behind the permanent platform by LIRR employees and pulled himself up. Railroad ties are made of wood and soaked in a protective solution called creosote, which prevents water from soaking through to the ties and rotting them and, consequently, makes the ties slippery when wet. 5 That night it was pouring rain. After Williams and Sboto had pulled the temporary platform back in, Williams again tried to climb onto the railroad ties to get himself back on the permanent platform, but he slipped and fell and hit his knee on the ties. Williams was treated that night at the hospital, and was eventually diagnosed as having an avulsion fracture of the left patella and a rupture of his left quadriceps tendon. According to Williams, Sboto simply jumped up onto the platform from the track level. 6 When asked why he used the ties to climb back onto the permanent platform, Williams stated [b]ecause, in my opinion, there was no other way to get up there. He also acknowledged that he had used this method of getting back onto the platform before and that, in fact, it was his usual way of doing it. Williams admitted on cross examination that he did not know if there was a ladder at the east end of the platform, and had not bothered to look if there was one. 7 Williams also attempted to enter into evidence as a business record an accident report concerning the incident. The LIRR objected because the report contained a section on remedial measures. Williams suggested admitting a redacted version of the report, which the LIRR argued was cumulative because it described events as to which Williams had already testified. The District Court did not admit the report, initially based on a ruling that it was hearsay, and indicated that even if it were a business record, the witness testified as to what the accident circumstances were.