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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

Western Building Restoration Co. v. Lovell Safety Management Co.

Plaintiff, a construction company, purchased a workers' compensation policy and became a member of a safety group managed by the defendant. Plaintiff obtained a certificate of workers' compensation insurance through defendant for a Massachusetts project, but the policy stated coverage only for New York operations. After a Massachusetts employee was injured, defendant refused coverage, leading plaintiff to sue for breach of contract, negligence, estoppel, negligent misrepresentation, fraud, and General Business Law § 349. The Supreme Court partially denied defendant's summary judgment motion. The appellate court reversed, finding no contractual relationship or duty owed by defendant as a safety group manager, and dismissed all claims, concluding that the policy unambiguously limited coverage to New York workplaces, and plaintiff failed to demonstrate broad consumer impact for its General Business Law claim.

Insurance Policy LimitsExtraterritorial CoverageSummary Judgment ReviewContractual DutyTort LiabilityReliance DoctrineInsurance BrokerageStatutory InterpretationBusiness Practices LitigationAppellate Procedure
References
21
Case No. MISSING
Regular Panel Decision

Martinez v. 342 Property LLC

Defendant Flintlock Construction Services, LLC, a general contractor, hired Site Safety for site safety management. An unnamed plaintiff suffered an accident, leading to claims against Site Safety, including under Labor Law § 200 and common-law negligence, as well as contractual indemnification claims by Flintlock. Site Safety moved for summary judgment, arguing it lacked control over the work site. The court found that Site Safety's role was primarily advisory, with limited authority to stop unsafe work, and thus it lacked the necessary control to incur liability under Labor Law § 200 or common-law negligence. Additionally, the court dismissed Flintlock's contractual indemnification claim, noting the absence of evidence of negligence by Site Safety, which was a prerequisite for indemnification under their contract. The motion court's decision granting summary judgment to Site Safety was affirmed on appeal.

Summary JudgmentSite Safety ManagementGeneral Contractor LiabilityContractual IndemnificationCommon-Law IndemnityLabor Law § 200Negligence ClaimsControl of Work SiteAppellate DecisionConstruction Accident
References
10
Case No. 2016 NY Slip Op 00302 [135 AD3d 572]
Regular Panel Decision
Jan 19, 2016

Domaszowec v. Residential Management Group LLC

Plaintiff Tracy Domaszowec's decedent died from a fall while cleaning a window on the 13th floor of an apartment building. The Appellate Division, First Department, modified a Supreme Court order, granting plaintiff's motion for partial summary judgment on her Labor Law § 240 (1) claim against Residential Management Group LLC and 40 Fifth Avenue Corporation (40 Fifth defendants), the building owner and manager. The court found the decedent was engaged in "commercial window washing," thereby making Labor Law § 240 (1) applicable. The court affirmed the dismissal of Labor Law § 202 against Veronica Bulgari and Stephen Haimo due to lack of exclusive control, and common-law negligence claims against T&L Contracting of N.Y., Inc. and Greenpoint Woodworking Inc. due to the lack of an exception to the contractual obligation rule. Issues of fact precluded summary judgment on negligence claims against Panorama Windows, Ltd., and the doctrine of res ipsa loquitur was deemed inapplicable to certain defendants.

Window cleaner fatalityScaffold LawSummary judgment appealAppellate Division First DepartmentCommercial vs. routine window washingLabor Law applicabilityContractual tort liabilityRes ipsa loquitur in negligencePunitive damages dismissalExpert witness evidence
References
8
Case No. MISSING
Regular Panel Decision
Oct 20, 1993

Olsen v. We'll Manage, Inc.

The case concerns an appeal by We'll Manage, Inc. from an order denying its cross motion for summary judgment in an action brought by plaintiff Gary Olsen under Labor Law §§ 240 and 241. We'll Manage, Inc. contended that Olsen was its special employee, providing evidence of direct supervision, work assignments, the right to fire him, and payment signed by its personnel, despite his wages being drawn from a general employer's account. The court found this established a special employment relationship. As Olsen received workers' compensation benefits from his general employer, he is statutorily barred from maintaining an action against the special employer. Consequently, the appellate court reversed the lower court's order, granted We'll Manage, Inc.'s cross motion, and dismissed the complaint against the appellant.

Special EmployeeWorkers' Compensation BarSummary JudgmentLabor LawDirect SupervisionControlAffidavitDeposition TestimonyGeneral EmployerAppellate Reversal
References
6
Case No. 2023 NY Slip Op 05172 [220 AD3d 1033]
Regular Panel Decision
Oct 12, 2023

Matter of Espinoza v. City Safety Compliance Corp.

Jaime Espinoza, a safety manager, sustained injuries while pulling a gate in a parking area adjacent to a construction site after his shift. He filed for workers' compensation, but the Workers' Compensation Board denied the claim, concluding the injury did not arise out of and in the course of employment, as the employer neither controlled the parking area nor was it part of the jobsite. On appeal, the Appellate Division, Third Department, reversed this decision. The Court found a sufficient nexus between the employment and the parking area, noting that Espinoza was instructed to park there and construction materials were stored by the general contractor in the same vicinity, thereby extending the employer's premises. The matter was remitted to the Workers' Compensation Board for further proceedings.

Workers' Compensation LawScope of EmploymentOff-Premises InjuryParking Area InjuryPremises Extension DoctrineRemittalAppellate Division Third DepartmentConstruction SiteSafety ManagerArising Out of Employment
References
13
Case No. ADJ8094646
Regular
Jan 17, 2014

ALEJANDRINA BARRETO vs. OUT OF THE SHELL, SOUTHERN INSURANCE COMPANY, REPUBLIC INDEMNITY COMPANY, PHARMAFINANCE, LLC, HEALTHCARE FINANCE MANAGEMENT, LLC

This case involves lien claimants PharmaFinance and Healthcare Finance Management, and their representatives Landmark Medical Management and Brian Hall, who sought reconsideration of a decision disallowing their liens for medical treatment. The Appeals Board granted reconsideration solely to notice its intention to impose sanctions of up to $2,500 against the lien claimants and their representatives. This action is due to a pattern of allegedly filing petitions containing false statements about not receiving notices, which violates the Board's Rules of Practice and Procedure and Labor Code Section 5813. The Board found these claims not persuasive and indicative of a tactic to avoid responsibility.

Workers' Compensation Appeals BoardPetition for ReconsiderationSanctionsLien ClaimantsHearing RepresentativesIndustrial InjuryFindings and OrderCompromise and ReleaseNotice of IntentionLabor Code section 5813
References
0
Case No. CA 12-01329
Regular Panel Decision
May 03, 2013

MULLIN, CARL D. v. WASTE MANAGEMENT OF NEW YORK, LLC

Carl D. Mullin, an employee of Riccelli Enterprises, Inc., sustained injuries after falling from a ladder at a Waste Management of New York, LLC facility. Mullin initiated an action against Waste Management, which subsequently filed a third-party claim against Riccelli for breach of contract. Waste Management alleged that Riccelli failed to name it as an additional insured on various required insurance policies, including workers' compensation, commercial general liability, and automobile liability. The Supreme Court granted Waste Management's motion for partial summary judgment on the breach of contract claim. The Appellate Division unanimously affirmed the Supreme Court's order, also upholding the denial of Riccelli's motion to introduce new evidence, deeming it untimely and unlikely to alter the determination.

Breach of ContractInsurance CoverageAdditional Insured ClauseSummary Judgment MotionAppellate AffirmationThird-Party LitigationPersonal InjuryWorkplace AccidentLadder FallContractual Indemnity
References
2
Case No. MISSING
Regular Panel Decision

57th Street Management Corp. v. Zurich Insurance

The plaintiff, 57th Street Management Corp., sought a judgment declaring that Zurich Insurance Company, the defendant, had a duty to defend and indemnify it in an underlying negligence action initiated by an injured employee, Isaac Wilner, and a subsequent third-party action by Bade Cab Corp. Wilner was injured in 1984, received workers' compensation benefits from a policy issued by Zurich, and later sued 57th Street Management Corp. and Bade Cab Corp. The action against 57th Street Management Corp. was dismissed due to Workers' Compensation Law § 11. Bade Cab Corp. then served a third-party summons on the plaintiff. The Appellate Division reversed the Supreme Court's order, granting Zurich's cross motion for summary judgment. The court found that the plaintiff failed to provide timely notice to Zurich of the personal injury action, vitiating coverage, and that notice of the workers' compensation claim did not serve as notice for subsequent actions.

Insurance CoverageDuty to DefendDuty to IndemnifySummary Judgment AppealTimely Notice RequirementWorkers' Compensation ExclusivityThird-Party LiabilityNew York Appellate LawEmployer's Liability InsuranceVitiation of Coverage
References
5
Case No. 13-CV-2622
Regular Panel Decision

Dillon v. Ned Management, Inc.

Plaintiff Dillon accused her boss, Yacov Fridman, of sexual harassment, including inappropriate comments and physical contact. She also alleged retaliation after reporting the incidents, citing docked pay and eventual termination by Ned Management. Defendants, Ned Management, Joe Milligan, Eric Vainer, Polina Vainer, and Yacov Fridman, moved for summary judgment, claiming Dillon's termination was due to lateness. The court, presided over by Senior District Judge Jack B. Weinstein, denied the defendants' motion for summary judgment. The ruling determined that sufficient questions of material fact existed regarding hostile work environment, retaliation, and aiding and abetting claims under Title VII and NYCHRL against various defendants, warranting a trial. The claim for sexual assault and battery against Fridman also stands.

Sexual HarassmentRetaliationHostile Work EnvironmentEmployment DiscriminationTitle VIINYCHRLSummary JudgmentFederal Civil RightsIndividual LiabilitySupervisory Liability
References
63
Case No. 2016 NY Slip Op 07997 [144 AD3d 591]
Regular Panel Decision
Nov 29, 2016

Ying Choy Chong v. 457 West 22nd Street Tenants Corp.

The Appellate Division, First Department, affirmed a Supreme Court order that granted plaintiff Ying Choy Chong summary judgment on his Labor Law § 240 (1) claim against defendant Bulson Management LLC. The plaintiff fell from a six-foot-high Baker's scaffold lacking essential safety rails while plastering a ceiling, establishing a prima facie case under the Labor Law. The court rejected Bulson's arguments that the plaintiff was the sole proximate cause of the accident and that conflicting affidavit testimony created a triable issue of fact regarding safety equipment provision. Furthermore, the Appellate Division upheld the Labor Law § 241 (6) claim based on Industrial Code § 23-5.18 (b) and declined to dismiss Labor Law § 200 and common-law negligence claims against Bulson for providing the unsafe scaffold. This decision reiterates employer responsibility under New York's Labor Law for providing adequate safety devices at elevated worksites.

Scaffold accidentLabor Law § 240 (1)Summary JudgmentAppellate DivisionWorker safetyIndustrial Code violationsPersonal injuryConstruction accidentFall from heightProximate cause
References
8
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