$1 Million Ladder Fall Settlement, Westchester

Raphaelson & Levine secured a $1 million settlement for a painter who fell from a defective 20-foot ladder in Rye Brook, Westchester County, suffering a fractured sternum, thoracic spine compression fractures, and injuries across nine body regions after the ladder — which was missing a stabilizer — shifted during use.

A Defective Ladder Collapse in Westchester County

Our client was hired to paint a residential home in Rye Brook, Westchester County. The homeowner provided a 20-foot ladder for the job. While our client was working at height, the ladder shifted beneath him and he fell to the ground. The cause was immediately apparent: the ladder was missing a stabilizer component — the piece that keeps the base balanced and prevents it from sliding out during use.

The fall fractured his sternum and caused compression fractures in his thoracic spine. He also sustained injuries to his lumbar spine, cervical spine, both shoulders, left arm, left hand, head, and chest. He spent three days in the hospital and faced months of recovery from injuries that affected nearly every part of his upper body.

Labor Law Protection for a Westchester Construction Worker

Under New York Labor Law Section 240(1), property owners and contractors have an absolute duty to provide safe equipment for workers performing tasks at elevation. When a homeowner provides a defective ladder that causes a fall, the homeowner bears liability regardless of whether the worker was careful or experienced.

Our construction accident attorneys retained a ladder safety expert who examined the equipment and confirmed that the missing stabilizer rendered the ladder unsafe for use at any height, let alone 20 feet. The expert further testified that a visual inspection before providing the ladder would have revealed the missing component. The homeowner handed our client a piece of equipment that was not safe to climb, and Labor Law makes that the homeowner's responsibility.

$1 Million for a Westchester Ladder Fall Victim

The $1 million settlement compensates our client for the fractured sternum, spinal compression fractures, and the constellation of injuries across his shoulders, arms, hands, and head, along with the hospitalization, surgical intervention, rehabilitation, and lost income that followed the fall.

"You hand a worker a 20-foot ladder with a missing stabilizer, and you're handing him a fall. That's exactly what happened here. The ladder wasn't safe to climb, the homeowner provided it anyway, and our client suffered a fractured sternum and compression fractures in his spine. Labor Law exists precisely for situations like this."

— Howard Raphaelson, Founding Partner at Raphaelson & Levine

If you've fallen from a ladder, scaffold, or any elevated surface on a job site in Westchester County or New York, our scaffold and ladder accident attorneys have decades of experience with Labor Law claims against property owners and contractors, and are ready to review your case. Contact us for a free consultation.