Flores v. A & A Family Beverage, Inc.
The Appellate Term, Second Department, affirmed an order denying the defendants' motion for summary judgment. Plaintiff Carlos Flores sought recovery for injuries sustained while unloading a truck owned by A & A Family Beverage, Inc. Defendants argued that Flores's sole remedy was workers' compensation benefits. The Civil Court found triable issues of fact regarding whether an employer-employee relationship existed between Flores and A & A, which would determine if workers' compensation was the exclusive remedy. The appellate court concurred, noting that the nature and extent of A & A's control over Flores needed to be determined by the trier of fact, and also clarified that Flores was not an employee of A & A under Workers' Compensation Law § 2 (4) as he was not a driver.