Court Tosses Jury Verdict Against Worker, Grants Motion for Directed Verdict

A New York appellate court overturned a jury’s finding that a worker was the sole proximate cause of his own injuries from a fall, and ruled that the worker should have been granted a directed verdict in his favor on his Labor Law claim. Case: DeGraff v. Colontonio, No. 531885, 02/17/2022, published. Facts: William Colontonio hired Ritchie DeGraff in July 2016 to construct a one-story, single-family house for him and his wife. Colontonio rented a lull — a four-wheeled machine with a hydraulic forked arm used to lift and transport materials — for the project. In A...