CONSTRUCTION ACCIDENT - Prior to closing arguments in a case against the New York State Thruway Authority, a bridge painter won a settlement of $1,515,000 for neurological and psychiatric injuries as a result of a fall from a ladder at a height of 6 - 14 feet, according to different witnesses. The case was tried in the New York State Court of Claims under a theory that the accident could have been prevented if appropriate safety devices were provided, as required under the State Labor Law.