CLAIM FOR COMPENSATION.

Auckland Star, Volume L, Issue 252, 23 October 1919, Page 9

CLAIM FOR COMPENSATION.

FOLLOWS WHARF ACCIDENT. £200 AWARDED. Having fallen from a ladder on to the top of the hold on the s.s. Flora, and from there to the tunnel, a distance of some 9ft, from the tunnel to the floor of the hold, a dfstance of about 10ft, and thence to the bilges, another 5 or 6 ft, a storeman named Horatio Dixon, aged 62, in the employ of the Union Steamship Company, still lived, and yesterday afternoon, at the Arbitration Court, over which his Honor Mr. Justice Stringer presided, made a claim against the Company for compensation. Mr. I*. Grey appeared for plaintiff, and Mr. R. Bagnall for the Company. The statement ot claim was to the effect that plaintiff was a storeman in the employ of the Company, at the rate of 1/4 per hour, his average weekly earnings being £4 3/ per week. On .January 12, 191S, plaintiff was employed on the S£. Flora, and fell from a ladder inside !No. 3 hold and received injuries to his hips, arms, ribs, and head. As the result of these injuries he had been incapacitated up to the present time, and would remain so permanently. Compensation to the extent of £315 14/11 wa=i asked for in lieu of weekly payments at half-wages during the.period of incapacitation, or in the alternative compensation under the Workers' Compensation Act, iflOS, against the Company at.the rate of half-wages during the period of incapacitation. A claim was also made for XI towards medical expenses. Dr. Carrick Robertson gave evidence regarding the injuries received, and said that plaintiff suffered from neuralgic pains in various parts of the body as the result of the injuries. Sine- the "accident about eighteen months ago he had been in the hospital four times and had two operations. Tie would not be fit to resume work; though he might possibly be able to do an occasional day's light work he would not be able to do so continuously. His Honor said the man would bo only capable of doing occasional light jobs according to the evidence of the doctor, land he was entitled to a fairly substanI tial sum of the amount of the full comI pensation. Judgment would be for £200 > plus arrears of wages, with costs £7 7/.