“SHOWING HOW IT HAPPENEO.”

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 144359, 25 March 1914, Page 5

“SHOWING HOW IT HAPPENEO.”

“Showing just how an accident happened is sometimes serious business, said tho adjustor of an American accident insurance company. “Iho settlement of a claim isn’t made any easier by having some rcckioss persons insisting on illustrating just how tho thing occurrod and then losing a hand, an arm, or perhaps his life, before your very eyes. “I shall never forgot an elevator accident that occurred in tho early clays of my adjusting. The elevator was in an old building which had been j-emodelled for apart menus and offices. “A tenant rang tho elevator bell on one of tho upper floors. As there was no response to his signal, he put his head over the metal lattice work that enclosed tho shaft to see if the elevator was up or down. Just then tho elevator started, the heavy weights camo down and crushed his skull. “When I camo to look tho ground over the janitor insisted on showing mo just how tho man met his death. As an illustration ho put his head out into tho elevator shaft. Again the elevator started, the weights camo down as before, and instead of one claim to settle there were two, although of course tho latter one was set aside on the ground of gross carelessness. “Another case was when a woman employed in a steam, laundry had had her fingers so crushed that amputation was necessary. next day, in the attempt to show mo ‘just how the thing happened,’ another woman cut oft her entire hand, and amputation was necessary above the wrist.

‘'‘Nowadays when I go to the scene of an accident I say: ‘Give mo full particulars, show mo tho placo and position of tho injured person, but for heaven’s .sake don’t duplicate the accident for tho sake of showing me just how it happened.’’