COURT NEWS

Grey River Argus, 2 August 1940, Page 8

COURT NEWS

STUDENT GIVEN £l5O DAMAGES. CHRISTCHURCH, August 1. General damages of £l5O were awarded by a jury in the Supreme Court yesterday to James John Wallace, a student at Canterbury Agricultural. College, who £oou from Gough, Gough, and Hamer, Ltd., for injuries suffered in a collision between a motor car and a truck driver, by an employee of the company. The company admitted liability for hospital and doctors’ expenses totalling £7O/13/6.

Mr. R. A. Young appeared for the plaintiff, and Mr. W. F. Tracy for the defendant company. Mr. Justice Northcroft presided. Mr. Young said that Wallace was seeking compensation for injuries suffered when a small car in which ho was a passenger, cam e into collision with the company’s truck near the college at Lincoln on June 19, 1939. The company admitted that 1-s driver was responsible for the accident, and the jury had only to determine tne amount of damages the plaintiff was entitled to for the pain and suffering caused him, his loss of enjoyment o' life while in hospital and afterwards, and his loss of earnings. The case would probably resolve itself into & conflict of medical evidence on the severity of the plaintiff’s injuries. Wallace entered the college in 1938 for a two years’ course in agriculture, said Mr. Young. Till the accident he had taken a full part in all outside activities at the college. After the accident he was in the Christchurch Public Hospital for eight weeks. After convalescence, the plaintiff would say, he was unable to settle down to his studies, and suffered from severe headaches. Since the accident

he had done no heavy work at tne college. He had to remain at college another year, continuing his studies.