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LEONE DAVIS v. S. S. KRESGE & COMPANY AND ANOTHER

Minnesota Supreme Court1926-12-03No. No. 25,477
169 Minn. 245

Summary

Holding. The order of the Industrial Commission awarding compensation is affirmed. The evidence reasonably supports the commission's finding that Davis was killed during an attempted robbery in the course of his employment, which constitutes an injury arising out of employment warranting compensation.

Harry Davis, a doorman at an S. S. Kresge retail store, was shot and killed while carrying a bag containing $1,100 in cash collections up a stairway to the cashier's office. A cashier who was with him observed a man with a handkerchief over his nose approach Davis in a threatening manner before shots were fired. Davis reached the top of the stairs, deposited the money bag, and died. The assailant's identity and motive remain unknown, though the money was left intact.

The Industrial Commission awarded workers' compensation to Davis's widow and dependent child, finding that his death arose out of his employment. The employer and its insurer challenged this award, arguing that if the killing resulted from personal animosity rather than the robbery attempt, compensation should not be awarded. The court upheld the commission's decision, finding that the evidence reasonably supported an inference that the assailant intended to commit robbery rather than act from personal motivation. Under the applicable statute, death caused by accident arising out of employment qualifies for compensation, except when caused by a third party's act motivated by personal reasons unrelated to employment.

Summary generated by law.co from the public-domain opinion. The opinion text itself is public domain.

Key issues

  • Whether an employee's death from an assailant's attack arises out of employment
  • Whether a killing motivated by personal animosity versus employment-related circumstances affects workers' compensation eligibility
  • Sufficiency of evidence to infer robbery as the motive for an attack on an employee carrying cash

Procedural posture

The case is a certiorari review of an Industrial Commission order awarding workers' compensation benefits.

Authorities cited

No cited authorities resolved to law.co cases yet.

Opinion

majority opinion

Dibell, J.

Certiorari to review the order of the Industrial Commission awarding compensation to the widow and dependent child of Harry Davis who came to his death while in the employ of the defendant S. S. Kresge & Company. The defendant Employers Liability Assurance Corporation is the insurer.

The Kresge company operated a retail store in St. Paul. Davis was the doorman. There were 40 cash registers in use in different parts of the store. It was an incidental duty of Davis to assist the lady cashier in making collections from the registers and taking them to the cashier’s office on the balcony door. On March 28, 1925, at 5 in the afternoon, the collections, amounting to $1,100 had been made, and Davis was carrying them in a bag to the office, the cashier preceding him a few steps. Their way was up an inclosed and well lighted stairway. When halfway up they were met by a man who, in the words of the cashier, “held a handkerchief up over his nose.” After they passed the cashier glanced around. She says “this man stood up against him in a threatening way.” She ran upstairs. Her explanation is: “I thought it was robbery and I was going to report it.” -The shot was dred as she reached the head of the stairs. There is evidence that she exclaimed: “It’s a hold up.” No one saw the shooting. Just before an employe on the balcony door saw a man come to the head of the stairs, turn around and start down. It is inferable that this man shot Davis.

After the shooting Davis went to the top of the stairs, dropped the bag of money in front of the cashier’s window, cried: “Help, help,” went to a lounge in the waiting room, and died without saying more. The money in the bag was intact. The identity of the assailant is not disclosed. It is not shown that he was acquainted with Davis. He disappeared and nothing more is told us of him. No one, except as stated, saw him before the shooting, and no one saw him afterwards.

The statute gives compensation “when personal injury or death is caused to an employe by accident arising out of and in the course of his employment.” G. S. 1923, § 4261. The phrase quoted is defined as not including “an injury caused by the act of a third person or fellow employe intended to injure the employe because of reasons personal to him, and not directed against him as an employe, or because of his employment.” Gr. g. 1923, § 4326 (j).

That the killing of Davis was felonious is not questioned. Nor. is it questioned that he was killed in the course of his employment. The contention is that his killing did not arise out of his employment. If his assailant killed him from a personal motive there can be no compensation, guch killing would not arise out of his employment. If he killed him in an attempted robbery there should be compensation, guch a killing would arise out of his employment.

The commission was justified in finding that Davis was killed in an attempted or intended robbery, guch is the natural inference to be drawn from the facts disclosed. When the assailant is apprehended and all the facts are shown, a different view may be suggested, or that taken by the commission may be confirmed. It does not matter. The commission reached the conclusion which should have been reached on the facts before it.

The only question is whether the evidence sustains the commission’s finding, and a review of the cases is not desirable. Many of illustrative value are collected in the notes in 15 A. L. R. 586, 594-597; 21 A. L. R. 755, 760; 29 A. L. R. 437, 442.

Order affirmed.