COMPENSATION AWARD

Greymouth Evening Star, 9 July 1931, Page 3

COMPENSATION AWARD

DEATH FROM HEART FAILURE. [pee press association.] CHRISTCHURCH, July 8. The death from heart failure of a tramway motorman, Albert Ernest Moorhouse, during the course of his employment, and allegedly arising out of his employment, was the basis of a claim under the Workers’ Compensation Act, heard in the Arbitration Court to-day. Elizabeth Jane Wright Moorhouse, widow, claimed compensation from the Christchurch Tramway Board. It was claimed that when Moorhouse was stooping to sweep the floor of a car, his arteries were so affected that he died of heart failure, or appolexy. The evidence of medical men and of fellow employees of Moorhouse was to the effect that Moorhouse had suffered from heart disease; that he had previously suffered extreme distress, causing a collapse, after having ridden a bicycle to work against the wind; that he had had to be off duty because of illness following this incident; that he had returned to work without a doctor’s certificate; that his death had followed - a seizure which came upon him after he had sweptout a car after his day’s work. In his judgment, His Honor said that the original heart strain had occurred outside Moorhouse’s employment, and his working life, if not actually ended by that strain, had been shortened by it. When a man was in such a condition, exertion was far more likely to bring on a final collapse of the heart. The law on the matter was in a peculiar position. It meant that if a man was suffering from disease and died while doing some- triflling little job in the course of his employment, even though he would die in any case within a month, he was'entitled to full compensation. It did seem absurd that the same compensation should be payable for a man almost on the point of death as for a strong, healthy man killed by an accident in the course of his work. That was the law, however, and the Court had to administer it.

Judgment was for plaintiff for £lOOO with costs.