Picture a gut renovation in the Bronx. You're a painter working over a stairwell, and the contractor has taped slick plastic sheeting over every step to protect the finish. One foot slides, and in half a second you're at the bottom with a shattered kneecap and a hip that needs plates and screws. For decades, defense lawyers argued that a covering like that wasn't a "slipping hazard" under New York law. In 2024, the Court of Appeals disagreed — and in doing so, it strengthened