Gonfiantini v. Zino
The plaintiff, an employee of A&A Awning Corp., was injured after falling from a ladder without rubber shoes while installing an awning. The plaintiff sued New York Builders Supply Co., alleging a defective ladder and a violation of Labor Law § 240. During the trial, evidence emerged that the ladder was also unsecured. The trial court denied the plaintiff's motion to amend pleadings to conform to this new evidence and for a directed verdict, ruling only on the defective ladder theory. The Supreme Court reversed the judgment, finding that the trial court erred in denying the motion to conform pleadings to the evidence, as the unsecured ladder theory was presented during cross-examination without objection, causing minimal prejudice to the defendants. The case was remanded for a new trial on liability only, as the jury was improperly precluded from considering a viable theory of liability under Labor Law § 240.