Worker Who Fell Through Duct Opening Entitled to Summary Judgment

A New York appellate court upheld a grant of summary judgment to a worker for his injuries from a fall through a duct hole. Case: Guaraca v. West 25th Street Housing Development Fund Corp., No. 24945/17, 43004/18, 04/23/2024. Facts: Segundo Juan Guaraca was instructed to build a wall around a trash chute hole that was adjacent to an air conditioning duct on the second floor of a building. When Guaraca allegedly jumped on a piece of plywood covering the duct hole to test its strength, the unsecured planking cracked, and he fell two stories to the basement, seriously injuring himself. Proced...