You are here: / / IT WAS FORSEEABLE THAT A LEAKY ROOF NEEDING REPAIR WOULD COLLAPSE WHEN...

IT WAS FORSEEABLE THAT A LEAKY ROOF NEEDING REPAIR WOULD COLLAPSE WHEN PLAINTIFF WAS STANDING ON IT; PLAINTIFF WAS ENTITLED TO SUMMARY JUDGMENT ON THE LABOR LAW 240(1) CAUSE OF ACTION (SECOND DEPT).

The Second Department, reversing Supreme Court, determined plaintiff, who fell when the roof he was working on collapsed, was entitled to summary judgment on his Labor Law 240(1) cause of action. The court noted the accident was foreseeable and no protective device was provided:

“‘In order for liability to be imposed under Labor Law § 240(1), there must be a foreseeable risk of injury from an elevation-related hazard . . . as defendants are liable for all normal and foreseeable consequences of their acts'” … . “Thus, to establish a prima facie case pursuant to Labor Law § 240(1), a plaintiff must demonstrate that the risk of injury from an elevation-related hazard was foreseeable, and that an absent or defective protective device of the type enumerated in the statute was a proximate cause of the injuries alleged” … .

Here, the plaintiffs demonstrated, prima facie, that the need for safety devices to protect the injured plaintiff from an elevation-related hazard was foreseeable, as the injured plaintiff was replacing wood decking on a pitched, elevated roof that had sustained water leaks, and that his injuries were proximately caused by the lack of adequate safety devices … . Sanchez v Congregation of Emanuel of Westchester, 2024 NY Slip Op 03446, Second Dept 6-20-24

Practice Point: An accident must be foreseeable to trigger liability under Labor Law 240(1). Here the court deemed it foreseeable that a roof which leaked and needed repair would collapse when plaintiff was standing on it.

 

You might also like
BECAUSE THE ORDER DISMISSING THE INITIAL COMPLAINT DID NOT SPECIFY CONDUCT CONSTITUTING NEGLECT TO PROSECUTE, THE SIX-MONTH TOLL OF THE STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS PURSUANT TO CPLR 205 (a) APPLIED AND THE ACTION WAS TIMELY; THE DISSENT DISAGREED (SECOND DEPT).
THE SUPPRESSION MOTION WAS PROPERLY GRANTED; THE POLICE DID NOT HAVE REASONABLE SUSPICION WHEN DEFENDANT’S CAR WAS BLOCKED BY A POLICE CAR; THE APPELLATE COURT MAY CONSIDER A RULING WHICH WAS NOT EXPLICIT BASED ON THE CONTEXT OF THE RULING WITHIN THE RECORD (SECOND DEPT).
PROMPT MOTION TO STRIKE NOTE OF ISSUE AND CERTIFICATE OF READINESS SHOULD HAVE BEEN GRANTED, DISCOVERY WAS NOT COMPLETE.
THE CRITERIA FOR THE HARSH REMEDY OF ATTACHMENT WERE NOT MET (SECOND DEPT).
“Conclusory” Allegation Rear-End Collision Was Caused by the Sudden Stop of the Lead Vehicle Is Not Enough to Defeat Plaintiffs’ Summary Judgment Motion
Petitioner Entitled to Homestead Exemption During Period Prior to the Contract of Sale for Her Home
EVIDENCE OF GENERAL CLEANING PRACTICES DID NOT DEMONSTRATE DEFENDANT DID NOT HAVE CONSTRUCTIVE NOTICE OF THE PRESENCE OF LIQUID ON THE FLOOR, DEFENDANT’S MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT IN THIS SLIP AND FALL CASE PROPERLY DENIED.
PLAINTIFF ASSUMED THE RISK OF STEPPING IN A HOLE ON THE PLAYING FIELD.

Categories

Sign Up for the Mailing List to Be Notified When the Site Is Updated.

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Copyright © 2026 New York Appellate Digest, Inc.
Site by CurlyHost | Privacy Policy

IF AN UNSECURED A-FRAME LADDER MOVES CAUSING PLAINTIFF TO FALL, PLAINTIFF IS... THE PUBLIC HEALTH LAW REGULATIONS CONTROLLING HOW NURSING HOMES MUST ALLOCATE...