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Access over workers' compensation decisions, including En Banc, Significant Panel Decisions, and writ-denied cases.

Case No. MISSING
Regular Panel Decision
May 25, 2012

Ali v. State

The claimant appeals from a judgment of the Court of Claims that dismissed their claim for personal injuries. The incident occurred on February 24, 2009, at the New York State Workers’ Compensation Board office when a security guard, reacting to news of his grandmother's death, punched a wooden bench causing it to fall on the claimant. The claimant subsequently filed a personal injury claim against the State of New York. The Court of Claims granted the defendant's application to dismiss the claim, determining that the security guard was acting solely for personal motives unrelated to his employment, and his conduct was not reasonably foreseeable by the defendant, thus precluding vicarious liability under the doctrine of respondeat superior.

Personal InjuryRespondeat SuperiorVicarious LiabilityScope of EmploymentForeseeabilityEmployee MisconductClaim DismissalCourt of Claims DecisionAppellate ReviewNegligence
References
7
Case No. MISSING
Regular Panel Decision
Aug 05, 2013

Mohan v. Atlantic Court, LLC

Edward Mohan sustained injuries at a construction site and later died. His representatives, the plaintiffs, filed an action for personal injuries and wrongful death against the site owner, Atlantic Court, LLC, and the general contractors, Kit Construction, LLC, and Kit Construction Co., Inc. The general contractors then brought a third-party action against Mohan's employer, Eagle One Roofing Contractors, Inc., the subcontractor. The Supreme Court's order granted summary judgment dismissing the wrongful death cause of action and parts of the indemnification claims. On appeal, the order was modified: summary judgment on the wrongful death claim was denied due to factual disputes regarding the causation of Mohan's death, and summary judgment for common-law indemnification against Eagle One was denied due to a factual issue on whether Mohan suffered a grave injury. However, the contractual indemnification claims against Eagle One by Kit Construction Co., Inc. and Atlantic Court, LLC, were affirmed.

Personal InjuryWrongful DeathSummary JudgmentContractual IndemnificationCommon-Law IndemnificationConstruction AccidentSubcontractor LiabilityGeneral ContractorAppellate ReviewCausation (Medical)
References
11
Case No. claim No. 1, claim No. 2
Regular Panel Decision

Colley v. Endicott Johnson Corp.

The case involves an appeal from a Workers' Compensation Board decision concerning two claims. The claimant suffered a back injury in 1985, and that claim was closed in 1986. In 2004, while working in Ohio for MCS Carriers, the claimant sustained another back injury. The Workers' Compensation Law Judge ruled that the 1985 claim was barred from reopening by Workers’ Compensation Law § 123 and that New York lacked subject matter jurisdiction over the 2004 claim. The Workers' Compensation Board affirmed these rulings, leading to this appeal. The appellate court affirmed the Board's decision, confirming the applicability of § 123 to the 1985 claim due to lapsed statutory limits and concluding that insufficient significant contacts existed to confer New York jurisdiction over the 2004 out-of-state injury.

Workers' CompensationJurisdictionStatute of LimitationsReopening ClaimOut-of-state InjurySignificant ContactsAppellate ReviewBack InjuryTruck DriverNew York Law
References
6
Case No. MISSING
Regular Panel Decision
Oct 28, 2003

Sowa v. S.J.N.H. Realty Corp.

The plaintiff, a hairdresser working at a nursing home, suffered head injuries when a window fell. She initiated a personal injury action, and the Supreme Court granted her leave to amend her complaint to include Labor Law claims directly against the third-party defendants, while denying the defendants' motion for summary judgment. On appeal, the order was reversed. The appellate court found the defendants lacked notice of any dangerous condition and dismissed the plaintiff's negligence claim. Additionally, it ruled that the plaintiff's Labor Law claims against the third-party defendants were time-barred and legally insufficient because she was not considered "employed" under the Labor Law and failed to cite specific safety violations. Consequently, the complaint was dismissed in its entirety.

Personal InjuryPremises LiabilityLabor LawSummary JudgmentRes Ipsa LoquiturRelation-Back DoctrineStatute of LimitationsIndependent ContractorsAmended ComplaintWindow Accident
References
13
Case No. MISSING
Regular Panel Decision
Jun 08, 1995

Rigopoulos v. State

Dimitrios Rigopoulos, an independent contractor, sustained injuries while painting a bridge from a floating barge. He and his wife, Victoria Rigopoulos, brought a claim for personal injuries against the State of New York, alleging violations of the Labor Law. The Court of Claims initially awarded damages to the claimants and granted partial summary judgment on liability under Labor Law § 240 (1). On appeal, the judgment was reversed. The appellate court ruled that the accident occurred on navigable waters and constituted traditional maritime activity, thus Federal maritime law applied. Consequently, Labor Law § 240 (1), which imposes strict liability, was preempted. The case was remitted to the Court of Claims for a new determination on liability under Labor Law § 200 (1) and § 241 (6), which do not impose strict liability and are not preempted by Federal maritime law.

Personal InjuryFederal Maritime LawLabor Law PreemptionStrict LiabilityNegligenceAppellate ProcedureSummary JudgmentDamages AwardRemandBridge Maintenance
References
13
Case No. MISSING
Regular Panel Decision
Sep 06, 2006

Gasques v. State

A claimant, Wanderlei Casques, and his wife appealed an order from the Court of Claims which granted summary judgment to the defendant, dismissing their personal injury claims. Casques was injured on a two-point suspension scaffold while working on the Kosciuszko Bridge when his hand was crushed between the scaffold's motor control and the bridge steel. The claimants alleged violations of Labor Law § 240 (1), § 241 (6), § 200, and common-law negligence. The appellate court modified the order, denying summary judgment for the Labor Law § 200 and common-law negligence claims, while affirming the dismissal of the Labor Law § 240 (1) and § 241 (6) claims. A dissenting opinion argued that the Labor Law § 240 (1) claim should also not have been dismissed, citing issues with the scaffold's safety and design.

Personal InjurySummary Judgment AppealLabor Law § 240(1)Labor Law § 241(6)Labor Law § 200Common-Law NegligenceScaffold AccidentKosciuszko BridgeWorkplace SafetyElevation Hazard
References
37
Case No. MISSING
Regular Panel Decision
Oct 29, 1998

Rossi v. Mount Vernon Hospital

Kenneth Rossi, an employee of the City of Mount Vernon, sustained personal injuries after falling into an open grease pit while renovating a gas station facade owned by Mount Vernon Hospital. The plaintiffs, including Rossi, filed a lawsuit against the hospital asserting claims based on common-law negligence and violations of Labor Law §§ 200, 240 (1), and 241 (6). The Supreme Court dismissed the Labor Law § 240 (1) claim, determining that Rossi's work did not involve the specific elevation-related risks covered by the statute. However, the court denied the hospital's motions for summary judgment on the common-law negligence, Labor Law § 200, and Labor Law § 241 (6) claims, citing unresolved questions of fact regarding a potential joint venture with the City and the scope of the construction site. The appellate court affirmed the Supreme Court's order, agreeing with both the dismissal of the Labor Law § 240 (1) claim and the denial of summary judgment on the other claims.

Personal InjuryLabor LawSummary JudgmentNegligenceConstruction AccidentPremises LiabilityJoint VentureAppellate ReviewGrease PitRenovation Project
References
14
Case No. 2007 NY Slip Op 30531(U)
Regular Panel Decision
Apr 05, 2007

Schirmer v. Athena-Liberty Lofts, LP

This case is an appeal from an Order of the Supreme Court, New York County, regarding a personal injury action. The plaintiff, a worker at a construction site, sustained injuries, leading to the site owner, Lofts, settling the claim after being found liable under Labor Law § 240 (1). Lofts then pursued indemnity claims against lighting contractor HP and the plaintiff's employer, Burgess. The Appellate Court modified the lower court's decision, vacating the finding that Lofts' settlement amount was reasonable due to Lofts' failure to properly demonstrate reasonableness and its mischaracterization of waiver arguments by HP and Burgess. The Court also affirmed the denial of HP's motion for summary judgment, citing unresolved factual issues concerning inadequate lighting as a cause of the accident.

Personal InjuryConstruction Site AccidentSummary JudgmentIndemnity ClaimLabor Law § 240(1)Appellate DivisionThird-Party ActionSettlement ReasonablenessCross ClaimsInadequate Lighting
References
4
Case No. MISSING
Regular Panel Decision

Angulo v. City of New York

In a personal injury action, the defendant City of New York appealed an order from the Supreme Court, Queens County. The original order denied the City's motion to dismiss the complaint for failure to timely serve a notice of claim and granted the plaintiff's cross-motion to deem his notice of claim timely served nunc pro tunc. The plaintiff, injured in May 2005, served his notice of claim in August 2005, which the City rejected as untimely. The Appellate Division reversed the lower court's order, granting the City's motion to dismiss the complaint and denying the plaintiff's cross-motion. The court held that timely service of a notice of claim is a condition precedent to suing the City and that the plaintiff failed to make a timely application for leave to serve a late notice of claim. Furthermore, the court ruled that the plaintiff could not rely on the workers' compensation carrier's notice of claim.

Personal InjuryNotice of ClaimTimelinessCondition PrecedentCPLR 3211(a)(7)General Municipal Law § 50-eDismissal of ComplaintLate Notice of ClaimNunc Pro TuncWorkers' Compensation Carrier
References
7
Case No. Appeal Nos. 1, 2, and 3
Regular Panel Decision

Testerman v. Zielinski

The case involves three consolidated appeals stemming from a personal injury action and a wrongful death action after a pickup truck collided with another vehicle. Robert C. Testerman, a passenger in the pickup truck, commenced a personal injury action. Daniel D. Bigelow initiated a wrongful death action as executor of the estates of Tenny Bigelow and Douglas L. Bigelow, the occupants of the other vehicle. The collision occurred when Rachel L. Zielinski, operating a pickup owned by her employer Pisa Electrical Construction & Manufacturing, Inc., drove through a stop sign. In Appeal No. 2, the court affirmed the dismissal of Testerman's personal injury claim against Pisa, citing Workers' Compensation Law's exclusive remedy provision. However, in Appeal No. 1, the court reversed the summary judgment dismissing Testerman's claim against Daniel Bigelow, finding insufficient evidence that Tenny Bigelow used reasonable care. Similarly, in Appeal No. 3, the court reversed the partial summary judgment on liability granted to Daniel Bigelow in the wrongful death action, for the same reasons as Appeal No. 1.

Personal InjuryWrongful DeathSummary JudgmentWorkers' Compensation LawVehicle and Traffic LawAutomobile AccidentExclusive RemedyEmployer LiabilityVicarious LiabilityAppellate Review
References
7
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