COMPENSATION COURT

Press, Issue 29236, 21 June 1960, Page 10

COMPENSATION COURT

Lump Sum Payment To Plaintiff The Canterbury (N.Z.) Malting Company, Ltd., was ordered to pay compensation amounting to about £5OO to Lionel Page, an engineer, in the Compensation Court yesterday. The hearing was conducted by Judge Dalglish. Representing the company was Mr B. McClelland. and representing Page was Mr J. G. Leggat. Judge Dalglish also granted an application by the company to cease payments upon payment of the lump sum awarded. It is to be calculated on the basis of three months full compensation, three months . half compensation, and thereafter at the rate of 20 per cent. The percentage was based on the Judge’s acceptance that Page’s disability was about 20 per cent. Page, aged 49. a married man with three children, injured his back in a fall while working, on October 29, 1957, said Mr McClelland. He was treated in hospital, but after discharge he continued to complain of disorders. Early this year, the employers’ thinking light work might assist in Page’s recovery, gave him a light job sorting sacks. He did this work for a day or two and said he could not continue, said Mr McClelland.

Page was simply suffering from neurasthenia, he submitted. Dr. Archibald Bruce McKenzie said he thought the result of Page’s injuries suffered in the fall might now account for a 5 or 10 per cent, disability. He said he thought the greater part of Page’s apparent condition was neurasthenic.

Called by Mr Leggat, Dr. William Alan Liddel said up to 20 per cent, of Page’s complaints might have an organic basis. Trying to find the organic and functional disorders was a difficult task. “Page is suffering a high degree of neurasthenia,” he said.

Judge Dalglish said he was satisfied that Page had suffered damage to his spinal cord at the time of the accident. It was difficult to decide, he said, to what extent permanent damage had resulted, and to what extent the disorders Page complained of, were the result of neurasthenia. However, he would give Page the benefit of the doubt and accept Mr Leggat’s submission that there was a 20 per cent, organic disability.