Agriculture Ins. Co., Inc. v. Ace Hardware Corp.
Plaintiff Agricultural Insurance Company, Inc., as assignee of injured worker Robert T. Treadway, Jr., moved for partial summary judgment on liability under N.Y. Labor Law § 240(1) against defendants Ace Hardware Corporation and Butler Construction Company. Treadway was severely injured when he fell from an elevated height at a construction site after the steel beam he was standing on collapsed. Although provided with a safety harness and line, these were attached to the very beam that failed, rendering them inadequate. The court granted the plaintiff's motion, concluding that the defendants violated § 240(1) by failing to provide proper protection and that this failure was the proximate cause of Treadway's injuries. The court rejected arguments regarding the admissibility of an accident report, a superceding cause (wind), and Treadway's contributory negligence.