“PERSONAL LUGGAGE”

Greymouth Evening Star, 12 May 1934, Page 2

“PERSONAL LUGGAGE”

JUDGE’S DEFINITION. Mr Justice Lawrence, in the King’s Bench Division, gave judgment in an appeal from an arbitrator’s award, which raised the question of what is “personal luggage” on a private motor-car. The matter arose on a case stated by the arbitrator, who held that William Charles Piddington, a Birmingham motorist, of Holliday-road, Handsworth, was entitled to he indemnified by his insurance company—the Co-operative Insurance Society Limited —in respect of an accident on October 17, 1931, which resulted in the death of a pedestrian. Damages of £l,OOO were awarded against Piddington.

Piddington at the time of the accident had two laths, twelve or thirteen Leet long, tied to his car. He was taking them home to bo used for a. garden trellis. The arbitrator found that the laths did not in any way contribute to the accident, bu,t the insurance company contended that he was wrong in law and misdirected himself in holding that the case was not being used for other than private pleasure purposes, and that it was not conveying goods other than personal luggage.

Piddington’s garden was his pleasure, not his business, said the Judge, who accordingly rejected the contentions of the insurance Society and dismissed the appeal with costs, including the costs of the special case.