Claim Against Hospital Board Fails

Greymouth Evening Star, 17 August 1948, Page 3

Claim Against Hospital Board Fails

PALMERSTON N., Aug. 14 A verdict for the Palmerston North Hospital Board was made by a special jury at”'the conclusion of the heai’ing in the Supreme Court, Palmerston North, today, of Mrs Pera Emily Vowell’s claim of £2500 damages from the board for alleged negligent medical treatment at the hospital m 1945 and 1946. Judgment against Mrs Vowell foi costs of the action was entered by Mr Justice Stanton. For the board, Mr Watson said a verdict for Mrs Vowell would mean a verdict against the surgeon, Mr Mitchell, though she had virtually excluded him from blame. She had claimed that she had . had complete faith in Mr Mitchell. 'Her story had been contradicted by : medical evidence and the hospital records; and she had been unsupported in her evidence by any doctor. He submitted that no evidence had been produced on which a verdict of negligence could be returned. If Mrs Vowell could obtain a verdict in the absence of evidence of negligence, then no doctor, no surgeon and no hospital could safely expect to be immune from claims for damages.