TaiLexi AI U.S. Case Law

Ritchie's Case

Fred E. Ritchie’s Case

Ritchie's Case, 222 N.E.2d 687 (Mass. 1966)
Download
Format
Include

Star paging (*137) is kept for pin cites.

Court
Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court · State Highest Courts
Decided
December 30, 1966
Judges
Wilkins, Spalding, Cutter, Kirk, Reardon
Citations
222 N.E.2d 687351 Mass. 4951966 Mass. LEXIS 680

Opinion — Wilkins

Wilkins, C.J.

The insurer appeals from a decree of the Superior Court awarding compensation. The reviewing board denied the employee’s claim. The board’s findings, which are at variance with those of the single member, are these. The claimant, approximately eighty-three years of age, was president and treasurer of the insured corporation, a manufacturer of gutters, pipes, and spouts. On January 28,1964, between 9 and 9:30 a.m. he came into the office as usual and walked in the direction of the bookkeeper’s desk. When he was about three or four feet from the desk, still wearing his hat and overcoat, he bent forward reaching his right hand toward the floor to pat a cat and stumbled. A clerk prevented his falling or hitting anything. It was then discovered that he had sustained a fracture of the left humerus. The board found that the claimant was an employee, but that the incident of January 28,1964, was not a personal injury within the meaning of the Workmen’s Compensation Act. In other words it was not £<a personal injury arising out of and in the course of his employment.” G. L. c. 152, § 26 (as amended through St. 1955, c. 174, § 5).

The decision of the reviewing board superseded that of the single member and must be accepted as final if supported by evidence and not tainted by error of law.

Webb’s Case, 318 Mass. 357, 358 . It was so supported and was free from taint of error of law. The brief of the employee’s executor follows the findings of the single member who ignored the presence of the cat. The Superior Court had no authority to review the finding of the board and to adopt that of the single member in preference to it.

DiGio-vanni’s Case, 255 Mass. 241, 242 .

Decree reversed.

Decree to be entered in favor of the insurer.

How later courts describe this case

Explanatory parentheticals written by citing courts — 2 in all; the most informative distinct ones are shown.

Cited by 12 cases

View all citing references →
1968: 11969: 11970: 21973: 11975: 11976: 11977: 11978: 11979: 12005: 12008: 119682026peak 1970 · 2

Relies on it most ⓘ

  1. Pettengill v. Curtis584 F. Supp. 2d 348 (D. Mass. 2008)
  2. Haley's Case255 N.E.2d 322 (Mass. 1970)
  3. Albanese's Case389 N.E.2d 83 (Mass. 1979)
  4. D'Angeli's Case343 N.E.2d 368 (Mass. 1976)
  5. Hicks's Case820 N.E.2d 826 (Mass. App. Ct. 2005)
  6. Morris's Case238 N.E.2d 35 (Mass. 1968)

Most recent

  1. Pettengill v. Curtis584 F. Supp. 2d 348 (D. Mass. 2008)
  2. Hicks's Case820 N.E.2d 826 (Mass. App. Ct. 2005)
  3. Albanese's Case389 N.E.2d 83 (Mass. 1979)
  4. Seymour's Case381 N.E.2d 1121 (Mass. App. Ct. 1978)
  5. Bagge's Case363 N.E.2d 1321 (Mass. App. Ct. 1977)
  6. D'Angeli's Case343 N.E.2d 368 (Mass. 1976)

Citing references are not a citator: they show that a later opinion cites this case, not whether it followed, distinguished, or overruled it. Check negative history before relying on this case.

Authorities cited 2

DepthCaseCited by
Webb's Case, 61 N.E.2d 340 (Mass. 1945) 28
Di Giovanni's Case, 151 N.E. 91 (Mass. 1926) 21

Keyboard shortcuts

/Focus the search box
j kNext / previous result
EnterOpen the selected result
xAdd / remove the selected result from the download list
n pNext / previous search term in a case
cCopy the citation of the current case
+ −Larger / smaller reading text
?Show this list