DAMAGES CLAIM.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 127, 1 June 1938, Page 12

DAMAGES CLAIM.

DOCTOR IS SUED.

NEGLIGENCE ALLEGED. i TREATMENT OF INJURY. \ fFrom Our Correspondent.) PALMER ST ON NORTH, Tuesday. Allegations that he had failed to exercise that standard of care which members of the medical profession owed their patients formed the basis of a claim for damages brought against Dr. Kenrick Dean, of Palmerston North, in the Supreme Court by Mrs. Olive Rita Paterson. of Palmerston North, dressmaker. The amount of general damages claimed was £750 and special damages £172 6/. In outlining the case, counsel for the plaintiff, Mr. L. G. H. Sinclair, said that on November 24, 1936, Mrs. Paterson had fallen from the pillion seat of a motor cycle while it was in motion and injured her knee, so that it remained bent and she was unable to straighten it. Dr. Dean was called in and he advised hot packs every two hours and iodine paintings. There was no improvement, and four weeks later Dr. King was called in to manipulate the limb in an endeavour to straighten it. Dr. King had not wanted to proceed before an X-ray examination had been made, but Dr. Dean had told him to go ahead. The limb was kept in splints for a week, and then Dr. Dean prescribed hot baths of three hours' duration, with instructions to try the limb by pressing the foot against the bottom of the bath and working the leg up and down.

This had resulted in the knee swelling, continued counsel. Mrs. Paterson was far from satisfied and asked for an X-ray examination, which was made, and a small portion of bone was found to be fractured. She was sent to hospital under the care of another doctor for treatment, and after that she consulted Dr. Williams, who performed an operation which resulted in a considerable improvement to the knee.

The allegations were that Dr. Dean negligently failed to diagnose the nature of the injury, negligently treated it by improper, incorrect and ineffective methods, and allegedly continued such improper treatment when he knew, or ought "to have known, that the treatment was not appropriate in the circumstances.

f The Court adjourned at the conclusion of the plaintiff's case.