AN ELECTRIC SHOCK.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19321, 7 May 1926, Page 14

AN ELECTRIC SHOCK.

ACCIDENT. TO A LINESMAN. DAMAGES FROM LOCAL BODY. SUM OF £2OOO RECOVERED.

[BY TELEGRAPH. —OWN C'OItTtESrONDENT. j NEW PLYMOUTH, Thursday. At, the last session of the Supremo Court at New Plymouth, a claim wax made by a linesman, George Scobie. against the Inglewood Borough Council for £2586 15s, as damages for injuries received while engaged in working on electric transmission lines, the allegation being that the injuries were the result of negligence on the part of the defendant council. Judgment has been delivered by Mr. Justice Heed for plaintiff for £2086 15s. Plaintiff received injuries through a fall caused by an electric shock while carrying out his work on bare low-tension lines, and the Judge found that as no insulated platform had been provided in accordance with the regulations, it was the duly of the engineer in charge to see that such lines were disconnected from the source of supply. He believed that the plaintiff had understood that the lines would be. dead, and he, was satisfied that the engineer did not tell him of the existence of live wires. "It may be," the Judge stated, "that the cause was that one of the wires was alive owing to a defect at the sub-station, it being quite clear that the switch board in use was obsolete and 'the switches did not comply with the regulations." Dealing with the question of damages, flis Honor said the special damages proved amounted to £586 15s, and the general damages claimed amounted to £2000.. He assessed the general damages at £ISOO and entered judgment for plaintiff for the sum of £2085 15s, less such amount as he. had received under the Workers' Compensation Act. Costs were allowed on the highest scale, based on judgment for the balance found to be due. Fifteen guineas .were allowed for one extra day's trial.