HERE THE FRAMING COMPANY HIRED BY THE GENERAL CONTRACTOR AND GIVEN SUPERVISORY CONTROL OVER PLAINTIFF’S WORK WAS LIABLE FOR PLAINTIFF’S INJURY AS A “STATUTORY AGENT” OF THE GENERAL CONTRACTOR WITHIN THE MEANING OF THE LABOR LAW 240 (1) (SECOND DEPT).

The Second Department, reversing Supreme Court, determined defendant South Ocean Framing was a statutory agent liable for plaintiff’s injury pursuant to  Labor Law 240(1). The general contractor hired South Ocean Framing, which in turn subcontracted the framing work to plaintiff’s employer. Plaintiff stepped on a beam which flipped out from under him and he fell 15 feet. He was entitled to summary judgment. With respect to the statutory-agent question, the court wrote:

Contrary to South Ocean’s … contention, it is liable under Labor Law § 240(1) as a statutory agent of the owner or general contractor, since it had the authority to supervise and control the particular work in which the plaintiff was engaged at the time of his injury .. . Once South Ocean became such an agent, it could not escape liability by delegating its work to another entity [i.e., plaintiff’s employer]. Mogrovejo v HG Hous. Dev. Fund Co., Inc., 2022 NY Slip Op 04299, Second Dept 7-6-22

Practice Point: The general contractor hired the framing company. The framing company hired plaintiff’s employer to do the framing. Because the framing company had supervisory control over plaintiff’s work, it was liable for plaintiff’s injury as a statutory agent under Labor Law 240 (1) and could not escape liability by delegating its supervisory role.