Draper v. Regents of University

161 N.W. 956, 195 Mich. 449, 1917 Mich. LEXIS 701
CourtMichigan Supreme Court
DecidedMarch 30, 1917
DocketDocket No. 87
StatusPublished
Cited by18 cases

This text of 161 N.W. 956 (Draper v. Regents of University) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Michigan Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Draper v. Regents of University, 161 N.W. 956, 195 Mich. 449, 1917 Mich. LEXIS 701 (Mich. 1917).

Opinion

Kuhn, C. J.

The claimant’s husband, Jay B. Draper, was, immediately prior to November 13, 1915, superintendent of the University hospitals at a salary of $2,500 a year. Mr. Draper frequently was required, in the course of his employment, to go to the University campus, which is situated about a quarter of a mile southeast of the University hospitals. In order to go to and from the campus it is necessary to cross the street car tracks running along the north side of the campus, on North University avenue. Mr. Draper’s home was southeast of the campus, so that the campus was directly between his home and the University hospitals.

It is claimed that it was Mr. Draper's universal cusstom to take his noon and evening meals at the University hospitals, in the psychopathic ward, unless he was called home for some reason or unless he had business down town which took him away from the hospitals.

On November 13, 1915, he called up his home about 5 o’clock and said he would be home for the evening meal. Half an hour later he was almost instantly killed by a street car as he was about to enter the campus from the direction of the hospitals.

[451]*451A claim was presented against the Regents of the University of Michigan, and considerable testimony was taken at the hearing. The arbitration committee and the industrial accident board held that the accident which caused Mr. Draper’s death did not arise out of and in the course of his employment. -We quote from the brief of counsel as the best way to present the claimant’s contention:

“Did the accident arise ‘in the course of’ the employment? The answer to this question depends upon whether Mr. Draper was on his way from the hospitals to the campus to transact some matter of business there on his way home. If he was merely going home to dinner when killed, the accident would not be one in the course of his employment. But if he was intending to stop on the campus on a business errand and then go on home to dinner, the accident would be one in the course of his employment. We think the evidence shows that he had business on the campus to transact before going home, and that this evidence is undisputed and unimpeached.
“Mr. Draper had been superintendent of the hospital for eight years. Mrs. Draper testified that never during that time had Mr. Draper left the hospital as late as 5 o’clock in the afternoon to come home to dinner unless he had business to transact on the way. It was seldom that he came home for the-evening meal, sometimes not more than once in two or three weeks. He took his evening meals at the hospital unless business called him to the campus or down town, and this was his ‘universal practice.’ * * *
“It must be held, therefore, that a uniform custom to go home for his evening meal only when he had business to transact on the way, is conclusively shown by the evidence.
“The campus was situated between the hospitals and the home of the deceased; so that he could easily transact any business he might have on the campus while on his way home. On the night when he was killed it appears that he called up his home about 5 o’clock and informed his family that he intended to come home for dinner. No plans or arrangements at [452]*452home required his presence; for his telephone call was the first intimation the family had that he would come home that night. Hence, if he followed his custom, he must have planned to go home for dinner because he had business to look after on the campus, and since he was killed when about to enter the campus from the direction of the hospitals, he must have been on his way to look after that business when killed.
“Does the proof of a custom constitute prima facie evidence that an act was done pursuant to such custom? In other words, will evidence that deceased was accustomed to do a certain act be sufficient to show prima facie that he did it? The cases are very clear that evidence of a custom is competent to show the doing of an act coming within the custom” — citing cases.

We think counsel is claiming more for the record than it will justify.

Mrs. Draper was a witness. The following appeared in her testimony:

“Q. Did he ever come home to his noon or 6 o’clock meal?
“A. Yes, sir.
“Q. On what occasions?
“A. If he was having business down town or over on the campus at the noon hour or 6 o’clock he would come home.
“Q. Was that his universal practice as far as you know?
“A. Yes, sir.
“Q. Were there any days he came home to any of those meals unless he had business down town, at the bank, or at the campus that you know of?
“A. When he was to a game, to a ball game.
“Q. When he would be off duty in the afternoon, where would he have his meals? Would he come home? Suppose he had gone to a ball game?
“A. He would have his meals at home unless there was something that he had to go back to the office for.
“Q. Were there any other times when he came home to his meals other than when he had business at the campus or was down town?
“A. Not that I know of.”

[453]*453On the cross-examination she said:

“Q. Was your husband in the habit of. coming home every Saturday afternoon?
“A. No, sir.
“Q. He was not obliged to work on Saturday afternoon?
“A. Well, that depended on his work. If he had work to do, he would work.
“Q. But usually he laid off Saturday afternoon to go to the ball games?
“A. If there were games or he had business down town he would go away; aside from that he would stay at the office and work.”

She also said he did not attend the ball game on the afternoon when he was hurt.

Miss Burlingame testified in part:

“Q. Do you know where he had his 12 o’clock meal and his 6 o’clock meal?
“A. At psychopathic hospital.
“Q. Always?
“A. Not always. If called away, he went home to 6 o’clock dinner. During the football game season he would go home; also if he had business on the campus. Sometimes they called him from his residence, and then he would go home to the evening meal.
“Q. When he had business that called him away from the hospital and over to the campus, near his home, what was his custom?
“A. He had his meals at psycopathic hospital if his work kept him there until meal time. * * *
“Q. Where was he going that afternoon?
“A. I think he was going home.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
161 N.W. 956, 195 Mich. 449, 1917 Mich. LEXIS 701, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/draper-v-regents-of-university-mich-1917.