Maroney v. Edward A. Kelly & Sons, Inc.

Decision Date15 February 1967
Docket NumberNo. 35521,35521
PartiesEarl L. MARONEY, Petitioner, v. EDWARD A. KELLY & SONS, INC., and United States Fidelity & Guaranty Company and the Florida Industrial Commission, Respondents.
CourtFlorida Supreme Court

Nichols, Gaither, Beckham, Colson, Spence & Hicks and Dudley Burton, Miami, for petitioner.

Jerry V. Wilkey, Miami, Patrick H. Mears, Tallahassee, and J. Franklin Garner, Lakeland, for respondents.

THOMAS, Justice.

The claimant, Earl L. Maroney, worked for the respondents, Edward A. Kelly and Sons, Inc., wholesale produce dealers, and while in that employ was entrusted with the employer's truck for use in transporting him between his home and his job.

On the day of the injury, with which we are now concerned, he was instructed to deliver a load of produce to the Yorkshire Restaurant situated in a southerly direction from the place of employer's business. He took with him a fellow employee, one John Mims. After the mission was performed the claimant and his companion Mims travelled to the latter's apartment where they engaged in drinking beer for about two hours. The direction to the house of Mims was not towards the employer's plant and not towards claimant's home, which would have been his normal course as it was then near the end of the work day. During the visit with Mims, the claimant recalled that he had neglected to get from the restaurant the employer's copy of the invoice of the goods delivered so he started to retrace his steps for the purpose of recovering it, and took Mims along entertaining the thought, so he testified, of returning Mims to his apartment then returning to his home.

About three blocks before the claimant reached the restaurant where he was to retrieve the invoice, he was involved in an accident and suffered injury. The deputy held that the claimant had deviated from his employment and had not completed his personal trip or resumed the course he would pursue as an employee so he denied the claim. The Full Commission placed its imprimatur on the decision.

We think Florida is aligned with a majority of the courts in the application of the rule that an employee who deviates from his employment to engage in a personal errand is not entitled to compensation for damages sustained in an accident occurring before he returns to the course he was pursuing in the interest of his employer. Fidelity and Casualty Co. of New York v. Moore, 143 Fla. 103, 196 So. 495. The Full Commission affirmed the...

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4 cases
  • Saudi Arabian Airlines Corp. v. Dunn
    • United States
    • Florida District Court of Appeals
    • 14 September 1983
    ...for meals, food or drinks is a deviation from employment. Nealy v. Ross, 249 So.2d 522 (Fla. 3rd DCA 1971); Maroney v. Edward A. Kelly & Sons, Inc., 195 So.2d 208 (Fla.1967); Morgan v. Collier County Motors, Inc., 193 So.2d 35 (Fla. 2d DCA 1966); and Ball v. I.C. Helmly Furniture Company, 1......
  • Sunshine Jr. Food Stores, Inc. v. Thompson
    • United States
    • Florida District Court of Appeals
    • 2 February 1982
    ...pursuing in the interest of the employer. N. & L. Auto Parts Co. v. Doman, 111 So.2d 270 (Fla. 1st DCA 1959); Maroney v. Edward A. Kelly & Sons, Inc., 195 So.2d 208 (Fla.1967); Concrete & Metal Form Erectors, Inc. v. Volkers, IRC Order 2-2706 In N. & L. Auto Parts Co., claimant was a route ......
  • Taylor v. Dixie Plywood Co. of Miami, Inc.
    • United States
    • Florida Supreme Court
    • 12 June 1974
    ...only requires consideration of the following: (1) Whether the JIC erred in finding, as a matter of law, upon authority of Maroney v. Edward A. Kelly & Sons, Inc., supra, that it would not affect the compensability of the claim at hand whether claimant had, in fact, reached his home and depa......
  • Drinnenberg v. State, Dept. of Transp.
    • United States
    • Florida District Court of Appeals
    • 18 December 1985
    ...if an accident occurs before he returns to the course he was pursuing in the interest of his employer. See Maroney v. Edward A. Kelly & Sons, Inc., 195 So.2d 208 (Fla.1967). "Concerning scope of employment, only where the facts are completely settled and the inferences to be drawn from the ......

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