Cable collapses; Damages Awarded

Northern Advocate, 21 May 1949, Page 6

Cable collapses; Damages Awarded

WANGANUI, Sat. (Sp.).—A Supreme Court jury last night awarded damages amounting to £6402 to Bruce Murray Lange.'farm labourer, 26, after a retirement of four and a-half hours.

The £6402 was made up of £5500 general damages, and £902 special damages,. Lange was seriously injured when an overhead cableway at Kowhata, in Waitotara Valley, collapsed on January 27, 1943.

Defendant was Eric Rostrori Nicholson, farmer, Wanganui, and the case, which was heard before Mr Justice Hay and a jury of 12, occupied four sitting days. The full amount claimed was £IO,OOO ! damages and £ll9O special damages. His Honor entered judgment for plaintiff, with costs. Leave was reserved for the defence to move for a nonsuit lor judgment for the defence. NEGLIGENT ’ The jury foun._. that defendant was negligent in failing to provide or maintain reasonably safe equipment for crossing the Waitotara River by means of an overhead cable and cage, in failing to warn plaintiff of the safety limit for the cable, and in failing to carry out a reasonable inspection of the posts and wires supporting the cable. On the question of alternative negligence, the jury found that plaintiff was negligent in failing to use a hauling rope provided for that purpose, but that he was not negligent in the load he put on the cage, in riding on the cage when it was crossing the river, or in failing to see that the cable and the supports were kept in proper repair and condition.