You are here: / / PHOTOS SUBMITTED AS A NOTICE TO ADMIT DID NOT SHOW THE METAL OVER WHICH...
, ,

PHOTOS SUBMITTED AS A NOTICE TO ADMIT DID NOT SHOW THE METAL OVER WHICH PLAINTIFF ALLEGEDLY TRIPPED AND FELL; ALTHOUGH THE PHOTOS ARE DEEMED TO SHOW THE PROJECT SITE ON THE DAY OF THE FALL, THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE THE PHOTOS DEPICTED THE CONDITION OF THE SITE AT THE TIME OF THE FALL OR IMMEDIATELY PRIOR TO THE FALL (FIRST DEPT).

The First Department, reversing (modifying) Supreme Court, determined plaintiff was entitled to summary judgment on the Labor Law 240(1) cause of action. Plaintiff alleged he tripped on metal debris and fell. Defendants submitted three photographs alleged to depict the project site on the day of the plaintiff’s fall as a notice to admit. The photos did not show any metal debris. Although plaintiff did not respond to the notice to admit, thereby deeming the allegations admitted, the photos did not establish the condition of the depicted area at the time of plaintiff’s trip and fall, or immediately prior to the fall:

According to plaintiff, his accident occurred as he was retrieving wooden planks for his coworker to install on the floor. Doing so required plaintiff to traverse over an uncovered beam pocket measuring three feet wide and three feet deep. His accident occurred when he tripped over metal debris on the floor and fell into the beam pocket. Plaintiff was wearing a harness with a yo-yo/at the time of his accident, but there was no place for him to tie off. * * *

… Defendants rely on a notice to admit that they served on plaintiff seeking his admissions that three photos annexed thereto … depicted the project site on the day of plaintiff’s accident. Plaintiff did not respond to the notice to admit, deeming the allegations admitted (CPLR 3123 [a]). However, these admissions do not establish that those photos fairly and accurately depict the location of plaintiff’s accident either at the time thereof or immediately prior thereto. Thus, the absence from those photos of the metal on which plaintiff claims to have tripped does not raise an issue of fact as to the manner in which plaintiff’s accident occurred. Guzman-Saquisili v Harlem Urban Dev. Corp., 2024 NY Slip Op 05420, First Dept 10-31-24

Practice Point: Photos which depict the condition of the area of plaintiff’s fall on the day of the fall, without more specificity about when the photos were taken, may not be deemed to depict the area at the time of the fall or immediately prior to the fall.

 

You might also like
Special Proceedings, Here a Motion to File a Late Notice of Claim, Are Subject to the Same Standards and Rules as Motions for Summary Judgment—Supreme Court Should Not Have Considered New Evidence Presented for the First Time in Reply Papers
THE ABSENCE OF A CERTIFICATE OF CONFORMITY FOR AN OUT-OF-STATE AFFIDAVIT OF SERVICE WAS A MERELY TECHNICAL DEFECT WHICH DID NOT PREVENT THE COURT FROM CONSIDERING THE AFFIDAVIT (FIRST DEPT).
MOLINEUX/SANDOVAL HEARING IN THE HARVEY WEINSTEIN SEXUAL MISCONDUCT PROSECUTION WAS PROPERLY CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC AND THE RECORD OF THE HEARING WAS PROPERLY SEALED, NEWS-MEDIA COMPANIES’ PETITION TO UNSEAL THE RECORD DENIED (FIRST DEPT).
THERE IS A QUESTION OF FACT WHETHER PLAINTIFF’S WORK CONSTITUTED ‘ALTERING’ WITHIN THE MEANING OF LABOR LAW 241 (6); ACTION AGAINST OUT-OF-POSSESSION LANDLORD PROPERLY DISMISSED, NO SUPERVISORY CONTROL OF THE WORK (FIRST DEPT).
APPLYING THE CLEAR AND CONVINCING EVIDENTIARY STANDARD, THE DEPARTMENT OF MOTOR VEHICLES’ (DMV’S) SUSPENSION OF PETITIONER BUS DRIVER’S LICENSE BASED UPON STRIKING A PEDESTRIAN WAS NOT SUPPORTED BY EVIDENCE OF THE EXTENT OF THE INJURY OR ANY CONNECTION BETWEEN THE INJURY AND THE PEDESTRIAN’S DEATH A MONTH LATER, DETERMINATION ANNULLED AND LICENSE REINSTATED (FIRST DEPT).
ALTHOUGH THE PIPE WAS A DANGEROUS CONDITION INHERENT IN THE WORK, IT WAS AN AVOIDABLE DANGEROUS CONDITION AND THERE REMAIN QUESTIONS ABOUT MEASURES TAKEN TO MINIMIZE THE TRIPPING HAZARD (FIRST DEPT).
DEFENDANT BICYCLIST WAS NOT ACTING WITHIN THE SCOPE OF HIS EMPLOYMENT WHEN HE STRUCK AND KILLED PLAINTIFF, EMPLOYER NOT VICARIOUSLY OR DIRECTLY LIABLE (FIRST DEPT).
PLAINTIFF FELL THROUGH AN UNGUARDED STAIRWAY OPENING AND WAS ENTITLED TO SUMMARY JUDGMENT ON THE LABOR LAW 240(1) CAUSE OF ACTION; DEFENDANTS DID NOT SHOW THAT THE PRE-DEPOSITION SUMMARY JUDGMENT MOTION WAS PREMATURE (FIRST DEPT). ​

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

AFTER SKIING ALL DAY AND RETURNING THE EQUIPMENT, CLAIMANT SLIPPED AND FELL... PLAINTIFF FELL FROM A SCAFFOLD WITH NO GUARDRAILS; DEFENDANTS’ AFFIDAVIT...