Buffalo Steel Co. v. Ætna Life Insurance

136 N.Y.S. 977
CourtNew York Supreme Court
DecidedJanuary 15, 1912
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 136 N.Y.S. 977 (Buffalo Steel Co. v. Ætna Life Insurance) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering New York Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Buffalo Steel Co. v. Ætna Life Insurance, 136 N.Y.S. 977 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 1912).

Opinion

WHEELER, J.

This action is brought to recover on an indemnity policy insuring the plaintiff against liability for accidents to employés caused by its negligence.

On February 28, 1907, one of the plaintiff’s employés by the name of Bertram Tetter was injured by having one of his eyes put out. Tetter thereafter instituted an action against the plaintiff, alleging negligence on its part, and recovered a judgment in the sum of $3,-143.30. An appeal was taken from that judgment to the Appellate Division of this court. Tetter v. Buffalo Steel Co., 132 App. Div. 946, 117 N. Y. Supp. 1148. The judgment was affirmed, and the entire judgment, with costs and interest, amounting to the sum of $3,444.94, was paid by the plaintiff, which now sues to recover said sum from this defendant by virtue of the insurance policy in question.

The insurance company defends on the ground that the policy does not cover the particular accident in question, because, it is contended, Tetter was employed in violation of law, and the policy expressly excepts from its operation any liability to persons so employed.

The policy provides that:

“This policy does not cover loss or expense arising on account of, or resulting from injuries, or death to, or if caused by, (lj any person employed in violation of law.”

Bertram Tetter was employed by the plaintiff in the spring of 1906, and was injured on February 28, 1907, at about 7:15 p. m. At the time he was hired, he stated that he was over 16 years of age, and that he had been working for another company prior thereto, and had had a certificate of employment issued by the health commissioner, pursuant to statute, which he had lost. A certificate had been actually issued June 17, 1904, by Dr. Edmunds, the health commissioner of Tonawanda, which gave the birth of Tetter as March 4, 1890. As matter of fact, Tetter was born on August 4, 1892; so that at the time of the accident he was under the age of 16 years. From the undisputed facts brought out in the negligence action it appears that Tetter was hired by the Steel Company May 28, 1906, left June 19, 1906, started again August 6, 1906, left October 17, 1906, started again October 27, 1906, left again January 9, 1907, started again January 13, 1907, and continued at work in the employ of the Steel Company until February 28, 1907, the date of the accident. If born March 4, 1890, as stated to the health commissioner by Tetter and his mother, he would have been, at the time of the accident, nearly 17 years of age. He was, in fact, some 14 years and 6 months old. The officers of the Steel Company, when the employment of Tetter was reported, made inquiries of his former employer, the Fenton Box Company, as to his age. That company told the manager of the plaintiff that Tetter had been employed there, stated what age Tetter gave, that he had had papers showing he was old enough to work, but that his certificate had been returned to him. The plaintiff’s manager then took the matter up with the health physician, and he, in turn, stated his [980]*980record showed his certificate had been issued to the boy, and the boy was then over 16 years of age, but that he could issue no new certificate, as the law did not provide for the issuing of certificates to persons over 16. The plaintiff’s manager examined the records of the health physician, and, being satisfied that Tetter was over 16, permitted him to work. This court is satisfied that the Steel Company in employing Tetter and permitting him to work acted in good faith, and in the honest belief that he was over 16 years of age.

The complaint in the action brought by Tetter against the Steel Company alleged as grounds of negligence: (1) Employing Tetter when under the age of 16 years without a certificate of employment having been delivered to and filed with his employer; (2) employing him when under the age of 16 at night; (3) employing him when under 16 to work at and about dangerous machinery; (4) failing to give Tetter proper and sufficient instructions as to his work.

Evidence was given on the trial of the negligence action in support of these allegations, and the jury rendered a general verdict in favor of Tetter, and also found specifically: First. That the machine on which he was injured was a dangerous machine within the meaning of section 81 of the Labor Law. Second. That Tetter was not 16 years of age at the time of the accident.

[1] These adjudications of law and fact in the action of Tetter against the Steel Company must be deemed, conclusive against the plaintiff in this action. Mason-Henry Press Co. v. Ætna Life Insurance Company, 146 App. Div. 181, 130 N. Y. Supp. 961, and cases cited.

[2] It is contended by the plaintiff, however, that Tetter, notwithstanding, was not employed in violation of law, within the meaning of the policy in suit, and the statutes of this state. In this opinion reference is made to the sections of the Labor Law as they were numbered before the Consolidated Statutes went into effect. Section 71. of the Labor Law prohibits the employment of persons over 14 years of age and under 16, “unless an employment certificate issued as provided in this article, shall have been theretofore filed in the office of the employer at the place of employment of such child.” There certainly was no literal or strict compliance with the statute in the case of Tetter. No certificate was ever “filed” with the plaintiff.

It is, however, contended that some time prior to the hiring one had in fact been issued, which had been lost, and that the Steel Company had knowledge of that fact. True, but the statute forbids the employment of a child of the age in question unless a proper certificate has first been “filed” with the employer. It does not read “issued,” but instead says “filed.” We must assume the Legislature meant just what it said, and had an object in requiring the “filing” of the certificate with the employer as a condition precedent to the right to employ a child under 16 years of age. If this view be right, then to employ Tetter at all was to employ him in violation of law, and no recovery can be had. The evidence, however, shows quite plainly that Teter was employed, not for the reason that he had the proper certificate permitting his employment, which had been lost, but because [981]*981the plaintiff believed that at the time of his employment he was over 16 years of age, and needed no certificate. For the same reason, the plaintiff put him at work on a dangerous machine, which is prohibited being done in the case of one of his years. Section 81 of the Labor Law.

Can the fact that the plaintiff and its officers and managers honestly believed the boy to have been over 16 years of age change the situation, or affect the rights of the parties to this action? The language of the statute is imperative, and the violation of the statute does not apparently depend upon the knowledge or good faith of the employer. In the case of People v. Taylor, 192 N. Y. 400, 85 N. E. 760, Justice Chace, speaking for the court, and referring to the section in question, said:

“We assume that the person who owns a factory is liable for a violation of said section of the Labor Law if, contrary to the provisions thereof, a child is emplos'ed by such owner either directly or indirectly, or through an officer, agent, or employé, and wholly without regard to whether the employment is an intentional and willful violation of the statute.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
136 N.Y.S. 977, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/buffalo-steel-co-v-tna-life-insurance-nysupct-1912.