Francescon v Gucci Am., Inc.

Francescon v Gucci Am., Inc. 2013 NY Slip Op 02470 Decided on April 11, 2013 Appellate Division, First Department Published by New York State Law Reporting Bureau pursuant to Judiciary Law § 431. This opinion is uncorrected and subject to revision before publication in the Official Reports.

Decided on April 11, 2013
Gonzalez, P.J., Friedman, Abdus-Salaam, Román, Clark, JJ.
9774 114399/01 590019/02 590139/06 590372/06

[*1]John Francescon, Plaintiff-Appellant-Respondent,

v

Gucci America, Inc., etc., et al., Defendants-Respondents-Appellants. [And A Third-Party Action] Gucci America, Inc., etc., et al., Second Third-Party Plaintiffs-Respondents-Appellants, Flooring Solutions, Inc., Second Third-Party Defendant-Respondent-Appellant. Flooring Solutions, Inc., Fourth Third-Party Plaintiff-Respondent-Appellant, Consolidated Carpet Trade Workroom, Inc., et al., Fourth Third-Party Defendants-Respondents.




Fortunato & Fortunato, PLLC, Brooklyn (Louis A. Badolato of
counsel), for appellant-respondent.
Barry McTiernan & Moore, New York (Laurel A. Wedinger of
counsel), for Gucci America, Inc., and Structure Tone, Inc.,
respondents-appellants.
Cascone & Kluepfel, LLP, Garden City (Michael T. Reagan of
counsel), for Flooring Solutions, Inc., respondent-appellant.
Connors & Connors, P.C., Staten Island (Robert J. Pfuhler of
counsel), for respondents. [*2]

Order, Supreme Court, New York County (Michael D. Stallman, J.), entered July 17, 2012, which granted the branch of the motions of fourth-party defendants (Consolidated) and second third-party defendant (Flooring), and the cross motion of defendants, that sought dismissal of plaintiff's Labor Law
§ 241(6) claims based on alleged violations of 12 NYCRR 23-1.7(b)(1)(i) and (ii), and 12 NYCRR 23-1.7(f), and denied that branch of the motions and cross motion that sought dismissal of plaintiff's Labor Law 241(6) claim predicated on alleged violations of 12 NYCRR 23-1.7(d), unanimously modified, on the law, to grant the motion and cross motions to the extent of dismissing the Labor Law § 241(6) claim insofar as predicated on an alleged violation of 12 NYCRR 23-1.7(d), and otherwise affirmed, without costs.

In a prior order, entered January 22, 2009, the motion court granted the plaintiff's motion for leave to amend his bill of particulars to alleged new Industrial Code violations. Further, the court denied the branches of the summary judgment motions of defendants Flooring and Consolidated that sought dismissal of plaintiff's Labor Law § 241(6) claims based on violations of 12 NYCRR 23-1.7 and 12 NYCRR 23-2.7, with leave to renew after completion of discovery. This Court, on a prior appeal, affirmed those aspects of the motion court's order, and noted that liability under Labor Law § 241(6), predicated on the newly-alleged Industrial Code provisions, "has yet to be determined" (see Francescon v Gucci Am., Inc., 71 AD3d 528, 529 [1st Dept 2010]). Accordingly, this Court's earlier determination does not preclude review of the subsequent motions for summary judgment (see James v R & G Hacking Corp., 39 AD3d 385, 386 [1st Dept 2007], lv denied 9 NY3d 814 [2007]). Further, the renewed motions for summary judgment were based on "new facts" (CPLR 2221[e][2]) — namely, plaintiff's deposition testimony, which was given after the motion court's prior order.

Industrial Code (12 NYCRR) § 23-1.7(b)(1) is inapplicable. The record indicates that plaintiff was injured after he stepped off the edge of the work area to the subfloor 12 to 15 inches below, which is not considered a "hazardous opening" within the meaning of 12 NYCRR 23-1.7(b) (see Lupo v Pro Foods, LLC, 68 AD3d 607, 608 [1st Dept 2009]; Pope v Safety & Quality Plus, Inc., 74 AD3d 1040 [2d Dept 2010], lv dismissed 15 NY3d 862 [2010]).

12 NYCRR 23-1.7(f) is also inapplicable. There is no basis in the record for any claim that the "[s]tairways, ramps or runways" identified in section 23-1.7(f) were required, given plaintiff's testimony that the subfloor was only approximately 12 to 15 inches below the first floor from which he fell (see Torkel v NYU Hosps. Ctr., 63 AD3d 587, 601-602 [1st Dept 2009, Andrias, J., concurring in part and dissenting in part]). [*3]

Finally, even if plaintiff's corrections to his deposition testimony would otherwise raise a credibility issue, the record establishes that plaintiff's accident was not connected to any slippery condition within the purview of 12 NYCRR 23-1.7(d).

THIS CONSTITUTES THE DECISION AND ORDER
OF THE SUPREME COURT, APPELLATE DIVISION, FIRST DEPARTMENT.

ENTERED: APRIL 11, 2013

CLERK