Supreme Court Young Man Claims $15,000 Damages

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32142, 11 November 1969, Page 11

Supreme Court Young Man Claims $15,000 Damages

A jury in the Supreme Court yesterday was asked to assess general damages in a claim by a young man for $15,000, liability for an accident in which he suffered injury having been admitted by the defendant. The plaintiff, Grant Patrick Petrie, now a hotel Employee but formely a ladies’ hairdresser (Mr J. G. Leggat), suffered a shattered fracture of the left thigh when struck by a car in June, 1966, while standing beside his lighted powercycle on the side of the road at night He had alighted from his machine, the jury was told, to get gloves out of a saddlebag when the car, driven by the defendant, Ronald Stuart Armstrong, a salesman (Mr R. P. Thompson), ran into him. Mr Petrie, in evidence, said that as a result of his injury he bad had to give up hfs own ladies' hairdressing business and go to Auckland “for a break,” where he worked as a petrol-station attendant in order‘to get some exercise for his leg, but with periods in which he could sit down.

Mr Leggat, in opening the plaintiff’s case, said that $15,000 general damages were claimed for what had been a severe injury, with attendant pain and suffering and considerable loss of enjoyment of life.

Mr Thompson, however, in opening the defence case, said his medical evidence would show that Mr Petrie’s injury was not nearly as bad as he said.

The trial, before Mr Justice Macarthur, will continue this morning.

Mr Petrie, to the jury, said he had been six hours unconscious . after the 1 accident, three months in hospital, two months convalescing at home, and a further six months attempting to get his hairdressing business going again but suffering pain and discomfort from his injured leg. At one stage of his evidence, Mr Petrie—who Mr Leggat said had come to court wearing bathing trunks under his trousers—left the witness-box and stood on the floor of the court in front of the jury-box in order to remove his trousers and show the jury a scar on the inner left thigh running down to the knee.

Mr Petrie said he could no longer go deerstalking, and could now only “potter about” with squash, which had been his sport. He had hoped to take up parachute-jumping, but with his leg injury that project was now “completely out”

Mr Petrie said he had been a member of the Royal New Zealand Naval Volunteer Reserve, and had undergone ■ a three months training ' course after his accident, but ’ could not go on assault I courses ' nor on long route i marches. Subsequently, he I had been classed unfit for • compulsory military training. Under cross - examination about his future, Mr Petrie said he hoped “to see his way round the world." He agreed ; that the running of ladies’ hairdressing, salons was a

bnsihessi which, for a competent parison, lent itself to ownership of a chain of salons. Mr Thompson:, Would you accept that the prospects for expansion of your earnings, when you! have had your overseas exiffirience, would be vtqr rosy'in the hairdressing business? Plaintiff J If I learn as a result of wffiat I see overseas, and put it .into practice. Medical d vidence was given for the plaintiff by Stuart Maxwell Cameron, an orthopaedic suraeon, and for the defendant toy James Keith Davidson, ah o an orthopaedic sur*on. Farther medical evidence for the defentoe will be called this mornings