Sunun v. Klein
Plaintiff Enrique Sunun was injured when he stepped into an unguarded, improperly backfilled trench at a construction site, causing his leg to sink deeply. The Appellate Division, First Department, modified a Supreme Court order regarding several Labor Law and negligence claims. The court found that the plaintiff was entitled to partial summary judgment on his Labor Law § 240 (1) claim, as no safety devices were provided to protect him from the gravity-related risk. Additionally, the court granted Beth Klein unconditional contractual indemnification from Cedar Design, Inc., and Fountainhead Construction Inc. conditional indemnification, while denying Fountainhead's motion to dismiss Labor Law § 200 and common-law negligence claims against it. The hazardous condition of the trench, exacerbated by rainfall, was central to the claims.