"SHOWING HOW IT HAPPENED."

Clutha Leader, Volume XL, Issue 69, 6 March 1914, Page 7

"SHOWING HOW IT HAPPENED."

'Showing just how an accident happened is sometimes serious business,'' •said the adjuster of an American accident insurance company. ''The settlement of a claim isn't made any easier by having some reckless person insisting on illustrating just how the thing occurred and then losing a hand, an arm, or perhaps his life, before your verv eyes.

"I shall never forget an elevator accident that occurred in the early days of my adjusting. The elevator was in an old building which had been remodelled for apartments and offices. "A tenant rang the elevator bell on one of the upper floors. As there was no response to his signal he put h:e head over the metal lattice work that enclosed the shaft to see if the elevator was up or down. Just then the elevator started, the heavy weights came down and crushed his skull.

''When I came to look the ground over the janitor insisted on showing me just how the man met his death As an illustration he put his head out into the elevator shaft. Again the elevator started, the weights came down as before, and instead of one claim to settle there were two, although of course the latter one was set aside on the ground of gross carelessness. "Another case wa6 where a woman employed in a steam laundry had four fingers so crushed that amputation was necessary. The next day, in an attempt to show me 'just how the thing happened,' another woman lost her entire hand and amputation was necessary above the wrist.

"Nowdays when I 20 to the scene of an accident I.say: "Give me full particulars, show me the place and the position of the injured person, but for heaven's' sake don't duplicate the accident for the sake of showing me 'just how.' "