Injured player wins appeal

Press, 14 May 1987, Page 31

Injured player wins appeal

PA Wellington A former student who suffered head injuries while playing hockey has won her appeal to the Accident Compensation Appeal Authority after showing a loss of job satisfaction and an inability to lead a normal life. The authority said in its decision, the 24-year-old Christchurch woman, Miss Ingrid Beijen, would have become an industrial chemist if she had not had the accident.

“That is a specialist profession and would have taken her to satisfying work,” the report said. “That has gone by the board and she is now reduced to what can be called a bookkeeper, which is a job which requires some skills, but not the skills required of an industrial chemist.” Though Miss Beijen had also lost her sporting prowess because of the accident her main losses were professional, the report said. When the accident happened, Miss Beijen was studying for a bachelor of

science degree majoring 'in chemistry. She had passed three subjects In her first year with a B grade average. After the accident she gave up her studies because she suffered memory losses and could not concentrate. Miss Beijen’s doctor had produced a report on her condition which listed persisting problems of slowed thinking, memory damage, migraine headaches, impaired coordination and neck pain. The doctor’s report said it wax' unlikely her condition would Improve and she would have suffered permanent disability of 30 per cent.

Miss Beijen was not clear how the accident happened. She was knocked unconscious by the accident and her last memory of it was walking to the match two hours earlier.

Her injury was of mild to moderate severity, which required nine days in hospital. The authority awarded her $7OOO, an increase of $4900 on her original award, with costs of $350.