Court Says Worker Injured in Trench Collapse Should Have Been Granted Summary Judgment

A New York appellate court ruled that a worker should have been granted summary judgment on his Labor Law claim for his injuries from a trench collapse. Case: O'Donnell v. Rocklyn Ecclesiastical Corp., No. 2024-06946, 12/03/2025, published. Facts: William O'Donnell allegedly suffered injuries while working at a school building construction site in Brooklyn. O’Donnell said he was directed to retrieve lumber located next to a trench on the site when the trench caved in and collapsed. O’Donnell asserted that the trench was about 10 feet deep, unshored and without...