Palmer v. Butts
This memorandum discusses a prior appeal where H. Robert Butts, as the property owner, was found to have a nondelegable duty under Labor Law §§ 240(1) and 241(6) despite not supervising the work performed by Lonnie R. Palmer. The court clarified that tree trimming constitutes a protected activity under Labor Law § 240(1) as it was necessary and incidental to the erection of utility poles. Furthermore, the Supreme Court correctly determined that the third-party action for indemnification or contribution is not barred by the 1996 amendment to Workers’ Compensation Law § 11 because the employee’s underlying action for personal injuries was commenced before September 10, 1996. The order of the Supreme Court was unanimously affirmed.