£609 AWARDED TO FARMHAND

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29220, 2 June 1960, Page 22

£609 AWARDED TO FARMHAND

Damages Claim Verdict Damages of £609 17s 3d were awarded by a jury in the Supreme Court yesterday to lan Allister Douglas Monk, aged 19, for injuries he suffered when he fell from a mobile platform for topping trees while in the employ of Canterbury Agricultural College, Lincoln, on July 22, 1957. Monk had claimed through his father, Allister Douglas Monk, a farmer, of Brookside, £2750 general damages against the college. Medical expenses of £33 12s 6d were agreed on between the parties before the action was heard, and £144 special damages for loss of wages were agreed on between the parties before the issues were put to the jury. The jury retired at 1 p.m. and returned at 3.25 p.m. with its verdict awarding the plaintiff £5OO general damages. The jury found the defendant negligent in allowing the plaintiff to do the tree-topping without being accompanied by another person and in allowing the plaintiff to work from a dangerous platform. The jury also held that the plaintiff contributed to the accident by failing reasonably to look after his own safety and held his contributory negligence to amount to 10 per cent, of the cause of the accident.

Mr E. B. E. Taylor, with him Mr N. G. Hattaway, appeared for the plaintiff, and Mr R. P. Thompson for the defendant.

Mr Justice Macarthur, on the application of Mr Taylor, entered judgment for the plaintiff in the sum of £609 17s 3d. £677 12s 6d less 10 per cent., with costs and disbursements, as fixed by the registrar, against the defendant.

His Honour allowed Mr Thompson 14 days in which to move against judgment.