Neville Crooks was injured when he fell off of a ladder while securing piping to the wall of a warehouse.
Before placing the ladder against the wall, Crooks and a coworker cleaned the area, but since it hadn't been secured or protected against slipping, the ladder slid while Crooks was about 12 feet up, causing him to hit the floor.
When Crooks sued, the Kings County Supreme Court found the warehouse owner, E. Peters LLC, liable for his injuries based on New York's Labor Law -- a statute which requires that workers be provided with appropriate safety equipment.
Since E. Peters couldn't offer any evidence which shifted the accident's responsibility or blame to Crooks, the Appellate Division, Second Department, affirmed the lower court's determination on appeal.
In other words, Crooks won!
To download a copy of the Appellate Division's decision, please use this link: Crooks v. E. Peters, LLC