NO NEED TO SHOW THE LADDER WAS DEFECTIVE IN THIS LABOR LAW 240 (1) ACTION; IT WAS SUFFICIENT TO SHOW THE LADDER WAS UNSECURED AND FELL WHEN PLAINTIFF WAS STRUCK BY DEBRIS (FIRST DEPT).

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The First Department, reversing Supreme Court, determined plaintiff’s motion for summary judgment on his Labor Law 240 (1) cause of action should have been granted. Plaintiff was using an unsecured ladder when he was struck by debris causing him and the ladder to fall. There was no need to show the ladder was defective. It was sufficient to show the ladder was not secured:

The undisputed facts show prima facie that defendants violated Labor Law § 240(1) by failing to provide adequate safety devices to plaintiff, who was injured doing demolition work when the unsecured ladder he was using to remove a ceiling was struck by a piece of falling metal debris, causing him and the ladder to fall to the ground … . The record lacks any conflicting evidence relevant to the issue of whether Labor Law 240 (1) was violated, sufficient to raise a material issue of fact. The issues of fact relied upon by the motion court in denying partial summary judgment are immaterial to the issue of whether defendants’ violation of section 240(1) was a proximate cause of plaintiff’s injuries. Plaintiff was not required to show that the ladder he was using was defective, where testimony established prima facie that defendant failed to provide a safety device to insure the ladder would remain upright while plaintiff used it … . Avila v Saint David’s Sch., 2020 NY Slip Op 05571, First Dept 10-8-20