Compensation Claim for Accidents

Manawatu Times, Volume LV, Issue 6810, 17 March 1932, Page 5

Compensation Claim for Accidents

ARBITRATION COURT PROCEEDINGS. The Arbitration Court sat in Palmerston North yesterday, the Hon. Mr. Justice Frazer, and Messrs. A. L. Monteith (employees’ representative), and C, Primo (employers' representative) being on the Bench. A claim for compensation for injuries received in an accident, instituted by Ronald James Rattenbury (Mr, Ongley) against Alfred Whitehead and Son, carriers, of Palmerston North, and adjourned from last sitting of the Court, was continued. Plaintiff, while engaged loading logs on to a motor lorry at Taikorea on June 2, 1931, injured his back and had been totally incapacitated since. His claim was for £2 i'Gs per week during the time he was prevented from working, £.l medical expenses and costs. Dr. C. W. Peach told the Court that he had attended plaintiff for his injury and finally had sent him to the Palmerston North hospital for massage treatment. There was no doubt that plaintiff’s condition had been aggravated by the attitude taken up by his employers who had apparently not gone to see him at the hospital and had refused to pay compensation. The rosult was that Rattenbury was suffering from neurasthenia which would disappear say in 3 months after the Court proceedings had been finalised. As regards the injury to the back, plaintiff was not a young man and it might take some considerable time to improve. Dr. Frank Ward, superintendent of the Palmerston North hospital, agreed with Dr. Peach that plaintiff’s permanent disability would be about onetwelfth. Plaintiff gave an account of the accident stating that when he received the wrench to his back he did not take much notice of it but later the injury got worse. Next day also it was bad and June 3 he had to spend in bed. Defendants had offered to pay some moneys but would not come to any definite agreement. The Court gave judgment in accordance with the medical evidence —full compensation to date and for a further 13 weeks, with a further 8 1-3 per cent, of the full amount for the remaining period of liability plus £l4= 14s costs. Albert Arthur Sharp, of Palmerston North, motor driver, proceeded against Fairey, Son and Coy., bakers, of Palmerston North, claiming compensation for injuries received through an accident. Plaintiff slipped and fell from the step of a van he was driving on August, 1930, for defendants ami injured his ankle. A month later he injured his left wrist while cranking the van and since had been totally disabled. The company had paid compensation amounting to £lll 10s 8d and admitted additional liability but the parties could not agree as to the amount. Mr. o’Regal, for plaintiff, said hharp was still in hospital, his injuries apparently having caused other troubles to supervene. There was a suspicion now that tubercular conditions had developed. Dr. Hunter Will detailed the lustory of plaintiff’s injuries and the subsequent developments. It seemed to witness that plaintiff was suffering from an infective arthritis. The fact that so many joints wero involved pointed against it being tubercular. Tho hospital authorities had endeavoured unsuccessfully to discover the focus of plaintiff’s trouble. To Mr. Cooper, defendant’s counsel, witness said the only reason for ascribing tho subsequent conditions to ■ the accident, was because they had occurred subsequently. Mr. Cooper stated that Dr. Wylie, whoso report ho would present, was emphatic that subsequent disabilities were not the result of the accidents. Pjaintilf would be totally incapacitated, however, for a further 12 months. The Court decided to allow full compensation to continuo and adjourn proceedings for awhilo by which time, it was hoped, tho doctors would be able to discover the exact nature of the infection.