In the Matter of the Claim of Louis C. Detenbeck, against General Motors Corporation, Workmen's Compensation Board

Summary

The New York Court of Appeals held that the claimant's back injury, caused by a congenital defect and not by the nature of his employment, does not qualify as an occupational disease under paragraph 29 of subdivision 2 of section 3 of the Workmen's Compensation Law, and therefore reversed the Appellate Division's order and dismissed the claim. Justice Froessel dissented, arguing that the majority’s reasoning on the scope of occupational disease was misplaced.