HOTEL EMPLOYEES’ CLAIMS

Taranaki Daily News, 19 September 1931, Page 11

HOTEL EMPLOYEES’ CLAIMS

INJURY IN ESCAPE FROM FIRE. COURT AWARDS COMPENSATION. By Telegraph—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. An important judgment, and one which will have far-reaching results, was delivered in the Court of Arbitration to-day. Three employees of the licensee cf the Panama Hotel were injured when escaping from the burning building. They made claims for compensation under the Workers’ Compensation Act. The plaintiffs were George Michael Skonc, Margaret Park and Ruth Jones, and the defendant was Mary Catherine Hyde, widow, as administratrix of the estate of Henry B. Hyde. Delivering judgment, Mr. Justice Frazer said there was no dispute regarding the facts. “The only question for the Court i that of the liability of defendant to pay compensation. The accident admittedly arose in the course of the plaintiff’s employment, but it is disputed that it arose out of their employment. Counsel for defendant argued that though the accident resulted from a fire it did not arise out of plaintiffs’ employmci ■ His Honour said it was impossible to distinguish a of personal injury caused by such a fire as occurred in this case to a worker whose duty necessitated his being in the burning building from a “location risk.” Judgment was o-iven for each plaintiff for compensation for the periods during which the injury lasted, with costs.