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Matter of Cole v. Union Carbide Corp.

Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, Third Department
Nov 6, 1975
50 A.D.2d 623 (N.Y. App. Div. 1975)

Opinion

November 6, 1975


Appeal from a decision of the Workmen's Compensation Board, filed April 25, 1974, which affirmed an award of death benefits to claimant, decedent's widow, and decedent's three minor children. On July 28, 1971 the decedent, a lawyer, while in Boston representing his employer, was having a business dinner with two fellow employees who were working on the same case when the board found he was asphyxiated as he attempted to control an attack of vomiting. There is medical testimony supporting this finding, and while there is some evidence that the decedent had consumed a substantial quantity of alcohol prior to and during dinner, the board was not required to conclude that the decedent's activities were so unreasonable as to render the accident solely due to personal acts (e.g. Matter of McGee v Allstate Ins. Co., 41 A.D.2d 866; cf. Matter of Kaplan v Zodiac Watch Co., 20 N.Y.2d 537, 540; Matter of Hancock v Ingersoll-Rand Co., 21 A.D.2d 703). A business dinner meeting was in progress, and the board could conclude that decedent attempted to desist from vomiting in the presence of his colleagues and in a public place and that this resulted in his asphyxiation. The board's determination that decedent "was not engaged in a purely personal act when the incident occurred" is thus supported by substantial evidence. Although Matter of Sheldon v Broughton Corp. ( 42 A.D.2d 650) in which we affirmed a board's denial of benefits is somewhat analogous, it is not dispositive here nor is it even truly factually apposite. Decision affirmed, with costs to the Workmen's Compensation Board. Herlihy, P.J., Greenblott, Koreman, Main and Reynolds, JJ., concur.


Summaries of

Matter of Cole v. Union Carbide Corp.

Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, Third Department
Nov 6, 1975
50 A.D.2d 623 (N.Y. App. Div. 1975)
Case details for

Matter of Cole v. Union Carbide Corp.

Case Details

Full title:In the Matter of the Claim of NANCY M. COLE, Respondent, v. UNION CARBIDE…

Court:Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, Third Department

Date published: Nov 6, 1975

Citations

50 A.D.2d 623 (N.Y. App. Div. 1975)

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