In Scofield v. Avante Contracting Corp., 135 AD3d 929 (2d Dep’t 2016), plaintiff allegedly fell from a ladder while doing HVAC work at a construction project. He had completed the same task using the same ladder in four other rooms without incident. In the final room, he had to maneuver around two stacks of sheetrock, which prevented him from placing the ladder directly under the location where he needed to work. When plaintiff ascended the ladder, it was firmly on the ground and did not shake or move while he climbed to the third rung, but it tipped over when he reached three to four feet to his right. Plaintiff asserted claims under Labor Law §§ 200, 240 (1) and 241(6) against LCBF’s client, the general contractor, and the owner. The Second Department affirmed summary judgment for defendants, stating “the injured plaintiff improperly positioned and misused the ladder, which was the sole proximate cause of his injuries.” Gerald Ford headed the LCBF team.
Second Department affirms dismissal of labor law claims on ground that plaintiff’s misplacing and misuse of ladder sole proximate cause of accident
