$136,258 damages to woman

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33774, 21 February 1975, Page 3

$136,258 damages to woman

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PALMERSTON NORTH. February 20

A Supreme Court jury in Palmerston North has awarded a former Palmerston North woman §136.258 in damages for injuries suffered in a road accident on March 28, 1972.

The sum is made up of $114,000 general damages and $22,258 special damages.

The amount is believe’ to be one of the biggest made i for personal injury in New I Zealand. ON MOTOR-CYCLE

The jury awarded the damages to Miss Jan Erina Williams, agid 26, now of Dunedin, after it decided that James Daniel McEnnis, aged 60, a company director, of Wellington, had been negli-

gent in failing to take adequate precaution to prevent 'other vehicles running over Miss Williams after he him--1 self had been involved in an j accident with her. Miss Williams was a pillionl I rider on her brother’s motor-; cycle when it was involved in a collision with Mr McEnnis’s car south of Longburn. As she lay unconscious ion the road after the acci-j dent another car ran over! her, the underparts of the car ripping off her crash he)-! met and injuring her head. NEGLIGENCE CLAIMED It was claimed that Mr. McEnnis was negligent in trying to pass too close to; the motor-cycle, and in failing to take adequate precautions to stop the otherj vehicle running over Miss; Williams. The jury decided that Mr; McEnnis was not negligent on the first issue, that of trying to pass too closely, but he was negligent in the

I second issue. Miss Williams’s brother, Simon, then aged 16, had a leg amputated as a result of the accident. WHEELCHAIR Miss Williams suffered severe injuries and is permanently disabled and expected to spend the rest of her life in a wheelchair.