Court Opinion

ID: 9954310
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2024-03-25 21:11:06.836552+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T08:12:04.885439
License: Public Domain

Harkins v Sciame Constr., LLC
               2024 NY Slip Op 30896(U)
                     March 19, 2024
           Supreme Court, New York County
        Docket Number: Index No. 152549/2021
                  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.
                                                                                                                      INDEX NO. 152549/2021
  NYSCEF DOC. NO. 71                                                                                            RECEIVED NYSCEF: 03/19/2024

                                   SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK
                                             NEW YORK COUNTY
            PRESENT:             HON. PAUL A. GOETZ                                               PART                              47
                                                                                      Justice
            ----------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------X
                                                                                                  INDEX NO.          152549/2021
             KEVIN HARKINS,
                                                                                                  MOTION DATE         10/13/2023
                                                         Plaintiff,
                                                                                                  MOTION SEQ. NO.         001
                                                 - V -

             SCIAME CONSTRUCTION, LLC, PORT AUTHORITY OF
             NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY, LOWER MANHATTAN                                               DECISION + ORDER ON
             DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION,                                                                     MOTION

                                                         Defendants.
            ------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------X

            The following e-filed documents, listed by NYSCEF document number (Motion 001) 43, 44, 45, 46, 47,
            48,49,50,51,52,53,54,55,56,57,58,59,60,61,63,64, 65, 66,67, 68,69, 70
            were read on this motion to/for                                              PARTIAL SUMMARY JUDGMENT

                      In this Labor Law personal injury action arising out of plaintiff's fall from an extension

            ladder while working on the Perelman Performing Arts Center, plaintiff moves for partial

            summary judgment on the issue ofliability on his Labor Law§§ 240(1) and 241(6) claims as

            against defendants Sciame Construction, LLC (Sciame) and the Port Authority of New York and

            New Jersey (the Port Authority).

                                                                      BACKGROUND

                      The Perelman Performing Arts Center, located at 251 Fulton Street, New York, NY

            10007 (the premises), is owned by the Port Authority. On October 20, 2017, the Port Authority

            (through its subsidiary, the World Trade Center Performing Arts Center Inc.) hired Sciame as its

            general contractor for the construction of a building at the premises (NYSCEF Doc No 56). On

            February 14, 2019, Sciame hired plaintiff's employer, Long Island Concrete, Inc., as a sub-

            contractor (id.). Plaintiff, a union carpenter specializing in building concrete forms, had been a

             152549/2021 HARKINS, KEVIN vs. SCIAME CONSTRUCTION, LLC                                                  Page 1 of 7
             Motion No. 001

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  NYSCEF DOC. NO. 71                                                                                     RECEIVED NYSCEF: 03/19/2024

            carpenter for approximately 30 years before his accident (NYSCEF Doc No 51, 16:21-18:14,

            28:24-25).

            Plaintiffs Deposition Testimony

                      On August 3, 2020, plaintiff was equipped with a harness, safety goggles, and a hard hat

            and was directed to work on a section of wall that needed additional concrete (id., 30: 16-25,

            37:5-38:6). This required plaintiff to work from a scaffold, which was suspended approximately

            15 feet above a hole in the floor below, containing garbage, broken concrete, and other debris

            (id., 44:3-22). One side of the scaffold was bolted to the wall plaintiff was working on, while the

            other three sides had railings (id., 41 :23-42:2). Though plaintiff was wearing his safety harness,

            it was not "tied off," i.e., secured by attachment to a stationary object (id., 47:9-13 ["When there

            is [sic] railings, you don't need to tie off']). Plaintiffs partner that day, Sean White, who was

            also on the scaffold, dropped a tool into the hole below (id., 48: 11-12). Plaintiff went to retrieve

            it by using a pre-placed ladder extending from the scaffold to the floor below (id., 48:23-49:6

            ["Q. When had that ladder been placed there? A I have no idea."]). The ladder was not

            connected to the scaffold; rather, it leaned against the wall opposite of the one plaintiff was

            working on (id., 49:21-54:11). 1 To access the ladder, plaintiff stepped between the top and lower

            rails of the back of the scaffold and stepped onto the ladder, which was about a foot away from

            the scaffold's platform's edge (id., 51 :6-52:5, 54: 12-17). Plaintiff accessed and descended the

            ladder, retrieved the tool from the lower floor, and climbed back up without any issues (id.,

            50: 10-24, 55: 16-57:2). Once back at the top of the ladder, he turned towards the right, reached

            1
              Plaintiff's statement of material facts asserts that the top end of the ladder was not tied off (NYSCEF Doc No 4 5 ,r
            18) but in his deposition, he appears less certain (NYSCEF Doc No 51, 50:5-7 [when asked if the ladder was tied
            off, plaintiff responded, "[n]o, not that I recall. Anyway, I don't remember it being tied off']). Sean White could not
            recall if the top end of the ladder was tied off but speculated that it was unlikely since it slipped out from under
            plaintiff (NYSCEF Doc No 52, 32:20-33:10). Anthony Primiani, Sciame's assistant vice president of field
            operations, also did not know whether the ladder was tied off (NYSCEF Doc No 53, 137:4-9).
                152549/2021 HARKINS, KEVIN vs. SCIAME CONSTRUCTION, LLC                                            Page 2 of 7
                Motion No. 001

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  NYSCEF DOC. NO. 71                                                                        RECEIVED NYSCEF: 03/19/2024

            his right arm toward the scaffold railing, and lifted his right foot with the intention of stepping

            back onto the scaffold (id., 56:25-59: 13). At that moment, the ladder slid to the right, and

            plaintiff fell to the lower floor, falling on his back (id., 59: 15-60: 11 ).

                                                          DISCUSSION

                    "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]). "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, 553-54 [1st Dept 2010]).

                    "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 Mgt. Corp. v Cristi Cleaning Serv. Corp., 70 AD3d 508, 510-11 [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. LLC, 153 AD3d 427,428 [2017], quoting Ortiz v Varsity Holdings, LLC, 18 NY3d 335, 339

            [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 (Rotuba Extruders

            v Ceppos, 46 NY2d 223,231 [1978]).

             152549/2021 HARKINS, KEVIN vs. SCIAME CONSTRUCTION, LLC                                Page 3 of 7
             Motion No. 001

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  NYSCEF DOC. NO. 71                                                                        RECEIVED NYSCEF: 03/19/2024

            Labor Law § 240( 1)

                   Labor Law§ 240, known as New York's "Scaffold Law," imposes a non-delegable duty

            on "[a]ll contractors and owners and their agents [to] furnish or erect ... braces, irons, ropes, and

            other devices which shall be so constructed, placed and operated as to give proper protection to a

            person so employed." (Labor Law§ 240[1]). "To prevail on a Labor Law§ 240 (1) claim, a

            plaintiff must establish that the statute was violated and that the violation was a proximate cause

            of the injury" (Cutaia v Bd. ofMgrs. of the 160/170 Varick St. Condo., 38 NY3d 1037, 1042-43

            [2022]). The protections of this section "do not encompass any and all perils that may be

            connected in some tangential way with the effects of gravity" (Ross v Curtis-Palmer Hydro-Elec.

            Co., 81 NY2d 494, 501 [1993]). Rather, the injury must be "attributable to the kind of

            extraordinary elevation-related risk that the statute was intended to guard against" (Sihly v New

            York City Tr. Auth., 282 AD2d 337 [2001]).

                   Plaintiff argues that the Port Authority, as owner of the premises, and Sciame, as the

            general contractor on the project, are absolutely liable as a matter of law because plaintiff fell

            from an unsecured ladder and he was not provided with any safety device that would have

            prevented his fall (NYSCEF Doc No 46). Sciame and the Port Authority argue, in essence, that

            there is a material issue of fact as to whether plaintiff was the sole proximate cause of his

            accident because he had not tied off the harness made available to him when he fell, and because

            he did not secure the ladder or ask his partner to hold it steady for him (NYSCEF Doc No 67).

                   Sciame and the Port Authority's argument was asserted by the defendants in Melendez v

            1595 Broadway LLC, 214 AD3d 600 [1st Dept 2023], and was rejected:

                           In opposition, defendants failed to raise a triable issue of fact as to
                           whether plaintiff was the sole proximate cause of his injuries.
                           Because the ladder was set up for use by another worker, any
                           failure by plaintiff to check its locking mechanism or to ascertain

             152549/2021 HARKINS, KEVIN vs. SCIAME CONSTRUCTION, LLC                                 Page 4 of 7
             Motion No. 001

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  NYSCEF DOC. NO. 71                                                                      RECEIVED NYSCEF: 03/19/2024

                           that it was tied off amounts to comparative negligence, a defense
                           inapplicable to a Labor Law § 240(1) claim. The fact that plaintiff
                           unhooked his harness before descending the ladder is insufficient
                           to raise an issue of fact, in the absence of evidence that anchorage
                           points were available for his use on his descent. Plaintiff's failure
                           to ask his coworkers to hold the ladder while he worked also did
                           not constitute the sole proximate cause of the accident, since a
                           coworker is not a safety device contemplated by the statute.

            Id. at 601-02 [internal citations and quotation marks omitted]. Here, Sciame and the Port

            Authority similarly fail to demonstrate that plaintiff was a recalcitrant worker because: they did

            not establish the existence of an anchorage point for the harness when plaintiff switched over to

            the ladder; the ladder was pre-placed by someone other than plaintiff; plaintiff's failure to ensure

            that the ladder was tied off would amount to comparative negligence; and plaintiff's failure to

            ask his coworker to hold the ladder steady was not the sole proximate cause of the accident. See

            also Latteri v Port ofAuth. ofNY & NJ, 205 AD3d 546, 546 [1st Dept 2022] ["Defendant's

            argument that plaintiff's actions, including his decision not to wear a harness issued by his

            employer, were the sole proximate cause of his injury is unavailing. Defendant offered no

            evidence that tie off locations were available to utilize a harness where plaintiff was working"];

            Garcia v Church of St. Joseph of the Holy Family of the City ofNY, 146 AD3d 524,526 [1st

            Dept 2017].

                   Plaintiff has established that he fell from a significant height due to the inadequate safety

            devices provided to him, and Sciame and the Port Authority have failed to raise an issue of fact

            as to whether plaintiff was the sole proximate cause of his fall. Accordingly, the part of

            plaintiff's motion seeking summary judgment on the issue ofliability on his Labor Law§ 240(1)

            claim will be granted.

             152549/2021 HARKINS, KEVIN vs. SCIAME CONSTRUCTION, LLC                               Page 5 of 7
             Motion No. 001

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            Labor Law § 241 ( 6)

                   Labor Law§ 241(6) provides, in relevant part: "All areas in which construction,

            excavation or demolition work is being performed shall be so constructed, shored, equipped,

            guarded, arranged, operated and conducted as to provide reasonable and adequate protection and

            safety to the persons employed therein or lawfully frequenting such places." A Labor Law§ 241

            claim must be rooted in an alleged violation of a specific standard of conduct under the Industrial

            Code (Toussaint v Port Auth. ofN Y, 38 NY3d 89, 94 [2022]).

                   Plaintiff asserts that Sciame and the Port Authority violated New York State Industrial

            Code§ 23-1.21(b)(4)(iv), which provides that "[w]hen work is being performed from ladder

            rungs between six and 10 feet above the ladder footing, a leaning ladder shall be held in place by

            a person stationed at the foot of such ladder unless the upper end of such ladder is secured

            against side slip by its position or mechanical means," and that this violation was a substantial

            factor in causing plaintiff's accident (NYSCEF Doc No 46). Sciame and the Port Authority do

            not refute the height at which the work was performed or that no one was at the foot of the ladder

            to hold it stationary, but they argue that material issues of fact remain as to whether the upper

            end of the ladder was secured at the time of the accident (NYSCEF Doc No 67).

                   Sciame and the Port Authority fail to raise a material issue of fact. There is some

            ambiguity in the deposition testimony of plaintiff, Sean White, and Anthony Primiani as to

            whether the top end of the ladder was tied off (NYSCEF Doc Nos 51, 50:5-7 [when asked if the

            ladder was tied off, plaintiff responded, "[ n ]o, not that I recall. Anyway, I don't remember it

            being tied off']; 52, 32:20-33: 10 [Sean White stating that he could not remember if the ladder

            was tied off but speculating that it was unlikely since it slid out from under plaintiff]; 53, 137:4-9

            [Anthony Primiani did not know if the ladder had been tied off]; 53, 132:22-134: 17 [Anthony

             152549/2021 HARKINS, KEVIN vs. SCIAME CONSTRUCTION, LLC                                Page 6 of 7
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            Primiani identifying a piece of wood to which the ladder might have been tied, if at all]).

            However, Industrial Code § 23-1.21 (b)(4)(iv) does not only require a ladder to be tied off; it also

            requires that it be "secured against side slip." Thus, even if the ladder was tied off, it was not

            adequately secured by the standards of the Industrial Code, as evidenced by plaintiff's

            uncontroverted testimony that it slipped sideways from under him. Accordingly, in this absence

            of any issue of material fact, the part of plaintiff's motion seeking summary judgment on the

            issue ofliability on his Labor Law § 241 ( 6) claim will be granted.

                                                         CONCLUSION

                    Accordingly, it is

                    ORDERED that plaintiff's motion seeking summary judgment on the issue ofliability on

            his Labor Law§§ 240(1) and 241(6) claims as against Sciame and the Port Authority is granted.

                    3/19/2024
                      DATE                                                         PAUL A. GOETZ, J.S.C.
             CHECK ONE:                   CASE DISPOSED                   NON-FINAL DISPOSITION

                                          GRANTED         □ DENIED        GRANTED IN PART          □ OTHER
             APPLICATION:                 SETTLE ORDER                    SUBMIT ORDER

             CHECK IF APPROPRIATE:        INCLUDES TRANSFER/REASSIGN      FIDUCIARY APPOINTMENT    □ REFERENCE

             152549/2021 HARKINS, KEVIN vs. SCIAME CONSTRUCTION, LLC                                Page 7 of 7
             Motion No. 001

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