AMAZING FEAT IN RESTORING INJURED WORKER.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17997, 6 November 1926, Page 8

AMAZING FEAT IN RESTORING INJURED WORKER.

BACK TWICE BROKEN, BUT HE CAN NOW WALK. (Special to the “Star.”) AUCKLAND. November 5 Details of what is described as a miraculous escape from death and a notable feat in the restoration of damaged limbs were unfolded in the Supreme Court when Mr Justice Adams was asked to assess the damages to be awarded to Michael Carroll, a freezing works employee (Mr Hall Skelton) against the Auckland Farmers’ Freezing Company, Ltd., (Mr Richmond), arising out of an accident in which the plaintiff was the victim. Carroll was in the employ of the company on February 27 last. He was engaged in the loading of dairy produce on the King’s wharf. His coat was caught in one of the trucks and he was dragged between the trucks and a pillar on the siding. The space between the truck and the pillar was only a few inches in width, and Carroll was so badly crushed that he sustained three fractures of the pelvis, his bladder was crushed, his hips were injured and his spine was broken above and below the waist. Carroll was treated at Auckland Hospital and is now to get about with the aid of a reinforced leather jacket. A claim was made for £2750 as general damages and £137 13s 6d as special damages. He was awarded by the Court £1250, which had been paid into Court by the defendant company. Costs were for adjustment between the parties with liberty to apply to the Court if they could not agree. The nature of the injuries sustained by Carroll were explained to the Court by Dr Neil McDougall with the aid of a radiograph taken when Carroll was admitted to the hospital and photographs taken this week. The illustrations show that the breaks had been repaired by the treatment given. Other medical witnesses who attended Carroll in hospital gave evidence as to the possibility of plaintiff being able to work in future. They were unanimous that he would not be able to do any heavy manual labour, but suggested he could undertake handicrafts or any work that would not involve active locomotion or heavy strain upon the spine. Among other occupations it was suggested that Carroll could attend to the lift or other maobinerv control led by levers. Dr Mackay said that Carroll was a good “trier.”