The First Department determined plaintiff was properly awarded summary judgment in this Labor Law 240(1) action. Plaintiff fell from a scaffold which did not have safety railings. Any comparative negligence on plaintiff’s part (not locking the wheels) was irrelevant:
Plaintiff made a prima facie showing of entitlement to judgment as a matter of law on the Labor Law § 240(1) claim by presenting undisputed evidence that he “fell off a scaffold without guardrails that would have prevented his fall” … . Plaintiff’s alleged “failure to use the locking wheel devices and his movement of the scaffold while standing on it” were at most comparative negligence, which is not a defense to a Labor Law § 240(1) claim … . Celaj v Cornell, 2016 NY Slip Op 07996, 1st Dept 11-29-16
LABOR LAW-CONSTRUCTION LAW (SCAFFOLD DID NOT HAVE A SAFETY RAILING, PLAINTIFF ENTITLED TO SUMMARY JUDGMENT ON 240 (1) CAUSE OF ACTION)/SCAFFOLDS (SCAFFOLD DID NOT HAVE A SAFETY RAILING, PLAINTIFF ENTITLED TO SUMMARY JUDGMENT ON 240 (1) CAUSE OF ACTION)