Case Name: In the Matter of the Claim of William Dyviniek, Respondent, against Buffalo Courier Express Company, Inc., et al., Appellants. Workmen's Compensation Board, Respondent
Court: New York Court of Appeals
Jurisdiction: New York
Decision Date: 1947-05-22
Citations: 296 N.Y. 361
Docket Number: 
Parties: In the Matter of the Claim of William Dyviniek, Respondent, against Buffalo Courier Express Company, Inc., et al., Appellants. Workmen’s Compensation Board, Respondent.
Judges: 
Reporter: New York Reports
Volume: 296
Pages: 361–368

Head Matter:
In the Matter of the Claim of William Dyviniek, Respondent, against Buffalo Courier Express Company, Inc., et al., Appellants. Workmen’s Compensation Board, Respondent.
Argued February 25, 1947;
decided May 22, 1947.
Morgan F. Bissellé and Warren G. Tucker for appellants.
I. Contraction of the disease of typhoid fever is not an accidental injury within the purview of the Workmen’s Compensation Law. (Matter of Connelly v. Hunt Furniture Co., 240 N. Y. 83; Matter of Richardson v. Greenberg, 188 App. Div. 248; Matter of Donovan v. Alliance Electric Co., 195 App. Div. 678; Matter of McDonald v. Belle Terre Lodge, 268 N. Y. 663.) II. The award is based solely on conjecture, surmise and speculation. (Matter of McDonald v. Belle Terre Lodge, 268 N. Y. 663; Matter of Hansen v. Turner Construction Co., 224 N. Y. 331.)
Nathaniel L. Goldstein, Attorney-General (Roy Wiedersum of counsel), for Workmen’s Compensation Board, respondent.
Claimant sustained an accidental injury arising out of and in the course of his employment which resulted in the disability for which the award was made. (Matter of Connelly v. Hunt Furniture Co., 240 N. Y. 83; Matter of Gaites v. Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Children, 251 App. Div. 761, 277 N. Y. 534; Matter of Lepow v. Lepow Knitting Mills, Inc., 288 N. Y. 377; Matter of Roos v. Loft, Inc., 247 App. Div. 842; Matter of McInerney v. Buffalo & Susquehanna R. R. Corp., 225 N. Y. 130; Matter of O’Neil v. Carley Heater Co., 218 N. Y. 414; Fitzpatrick v. Postal Restaurant Co., 208 App. Div. 822; Matter of Horrigan v. Post-Standard Co., 224 N. Y. 620; Matter of Sanantonio v. Schussler, 232 App. Div. 861; Matter of Frescatore v. General Electric Co., 234 App. Div. 643; Matter of Ingelfinger v. Jacob Dold Packing Co., 235 App. Div. 754; Matter of Douglass v. Franklin Mfg. Co., 235 App. Div. 882.)

Opinion:
Per Curiam.
There was no evidence to support the findings of the Workmen's Compensation Board that the claimant contracted typhoid fever or suffered any accidental injury from which typhoid fever naturally or unavoidably resulted in the course of his employment from food and drink consumed in the flood area to which he was assigned. The lack of any evidence connecting the disease with accidental injury in the course of employment may not be supplied by the statutory presumption (Workmen's Compensation Law, § 21; Matter of Daus v. Gunderman & Sons, Inc., 283 N. Y. 459, 466; Matter of Lorchitsky v. Gotham Folding Box Co., 230 N. Y. 8, 12).
The order of the Appellate Division and the award of the Workmen's Compensation Board should be reversed and the claim dismissed, with costs in this court and in the Appellate Division against the Workmen's Compensation Board.