CHARWOMAN INJURED

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 104, 29 October 1931, Page 7

CHARWOMAN INJURED

CLAIM FOR DAMAGES

KNOCKED DOWN BY LORRY

A motor accident in-July last at the intersection of Lambton quay and Johnston street, when. Marion Matilda Harman, the wife of a City. Council employee, Arthur Harman, was knocked down and injured by a motor-lorry, had its sequel in the-Supreme Court yesterday in the shape of a civil action for damages,/heard by a Judge and jury. The plaintiffs were Marion Matilda Harman and her husband, Arthur Harman. The defendants were Robert Cornwell and his1 son; Arthur George Cornwell, farmers,, of Johhsonville, the owner and driver, respectively, of the lorry. Mrs. Harman claimed £123 5s special damages and £1500 general damages, and her husband, for loss of services andsociety of his wife, claimed £500 genera] damages. Mr. A. C. Mazehgarb appeared for the plaintiffs, Mr. H. H. Cornish and with him Mr. N. A. Foden appearing: for the defendants. His Honour Mr. Justice Reed was on the Bench., .. The. accident, it was alleged, took place just as day was breaking. The ■plaintiff had alighted;; from a tramcar at the Midland Hotel stop, and was proceeding across the: street when she was run down. Negligence on the ■part of the defendants was alleged;in that the speed of the lorry was excessive, a : proper look-out was not kept, there'was a; tailure to sound the horn, and;a:failure to stop or to steer clea^y The plaintiff , Was in hospital for eight weeks; as the result,of injuries -received,, and will be, it was alleged, incapacitated for another nine months.. She. was the breadwinner of the family, but owing to the. injuries received can no longer carry on work as a charwoman. . The defenceis a denial of negligence, it being alleged- that the plaintiff could have avoided the accident had she kept a proper look-out. ":.'■', Evidence was heard ■ yesterday, and the; case was continued to-day. ;