COMPENSATION COURT

Press, Volume LXXXVI, Issue 26125, 30 May 1950, Page 3

COMPENSATION COURT

CLAIM AGAINST CITY COUNCIL A claim by Muriel Josephine Wood, a widow, against the Christchurch City Council for £1750. compensation for the death of her husband, was partly heard in the Compensation Court yesterday, before Judge Ongley, and will be continued to-day. Mr B. A. Barrer is appearing for the plaintiff. Mr W. R. Lascelles, and with him Mr J. G. Leggat, is appearing for the council. The plaintiff claimed that her husband. Thomas William Wood, who was employed by the City Council, suffered an accident or strain in the course of his work on October 20, 1949. and this materially contributed to his death on October 21, 1949. Mrs Wood gave evidence on her husband’s health before his deatah. She -said he was aged 58. He was taken home from work on the morning on October 20. Douglas William Merrin. an employee of the City Council, said that Wood helped him to move a bag of grit, weighing about one hundred-weight, while they were working in Halton street. The next witness saw of Wood was when the latter was sitting on the footpath. The tar plant upset and caught fire that morning. James Henry Daniels and Walter Albert Ball, council employees, also gave evidence on what happened that morning, and the work Wood was doing. Dr. William Bates said that Wood was (taken to his rooms about 10 a.m. on OcI tober 20. He said he was lifting down some tar because he was afraid of it going on fire, and he got a severe pain. Witness thought that Wood might have had coronary thrombosis. He gave him medicine and sent him home. He saw Wood the following morning and again about 7 p.m. the same day. Wood was t.'.cn dead. He agreed with the post-mortem finding that death was due to peritonitis following a burst ulcer. Dr. A. B. Pearson, a pathologist, said he conducted a post-mortem examination and. in his opinion, the cause of Wood’s death was toxaemia, due to peritonitis following a perforation of the duodenal ulcer. Witness said he would think that effort, such as the work Wood was said to have been doing, would cause an ulcer to rupture. The sitting was adjourned until to-day.