Court Opinion

ID: 9687431
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-24 16:27:50.304326+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:18:27.180403
License: Public Domain

Knutson, Chief Justice
(dissenting).
I cannot agree with this opinion. While negligence and contributory negligence are not important in determining compensability of injury or death under the Workmen’s Compensation Act, causal relationship is.
I fail to see that there is any causal relationship between choking on a piece of steak and the employment of decedent, even though he was eating while he was on the job. A case might arise where an employee had limited time in which to eat and as a result would eat so fast that he would choke to death, but nothing of that kind appears in this case. The employee here simply took a chunk of meat that was too big and attempted to swallow it without chewing, and choked. I do not see that this had any relationship to his employment.
Nor do I agree with the concurring opinion. There is no evidence in this case that deceased was eating under any stress of persuading a prospective customer or trying to make him more receptive. He was simply eating his dinner. The same thing could have happened to him while eating at home.