Source: http://masscases.com/cases/sjc/328/328mass592.html
Timestamp: 2019-04-18 15:09:03+00:00

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A conclusion that an injury to an employee's back did not arise out of his employment and was not compensable under the workmen's compensation act was justified where it appeared that the injury was sustained while the employee was voluntarily participating in lifting and turning a heavy flywheel "as a practical joke on" another employee after he had left the room to get a crane with which to move the flywheel.
G. Karelitz, (J. S. Cohen with him,) for the claimant.
E. C. Uehlein, for the insurer.
had advised Mr. Mailloux that he was leaving the room to obtain a crane with which to move the flywheel." It then adopted the findings and decision of the single member as so amended.
The decision of the reviewing board "must be accepted as final if supported by evidence and not tainted by error of law." Webb's Case, 318 Mass. 357, 358. Lapinsky's Case, 325 Mass. 13, 15. See Roney's Case, 316 Mass. 732. The evidence was sufficient to warrant the finding of the board that the claimant received his injury while participating in a so called practical joke played on a fellow employee. We held in Moore's Case, 225 Mass. 258, where an employee was injured while "fooling" with another employee, that the board was correct in ruling that the injury to the employee "did not arise out of his employment." The principle involved is that which has governed decisions in similar cases arising in this and in other jurisdictions. See Rochford's Case, 234 Mass. 93; Roberts's Case, 284 Mass. 316; DiLauro v. Bassetti, 133 Conn. 642; Shedlock v. Cudahy Packing Co. 134 Conn. 672; Hill v. Liberty Motor & Engineering Corp. 185 Md. 596; Rothfarb v. Camp Awanee, Inc. 116 Vt. 172. An injury does not arise out of the employment when it results from the assumption of a risk not incidental to or connected with such employment. See McNicol's Case, 215 Mass. 497; Hurley's Case, 240 Mass. 357; Babineau's Case, 254 Mass. 214; Horton's Case, 275 Mass. 572, 573; Roberts's Case, 284 Mass. 316; Zarba v. Lane, 322 Mass. 132, 134, and cases cited; Dillon's Case, 324 Mass. 102, 106-107.
This is not a case where a nonparticipating employee is injured by the "fooling" or "horseplay" of others, see G. L. (Ter. Ed.) c. 152, Section 26, as appearing in St. 1943, c. 529, Section 8; Burns v. Merritt Engineering Co. 302 N. Y. 131, but is one where the employee's injury results from his own voluntary act which in no way pertains to his employment. There was no error in dismissing the claim.

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