COMPENSATION ONLY IF NEGLIGENCE IS PROVED

Wanganui Chronicle, 30 October 1948, Page 5

COMPENSATION ONLY IF NEGLIGENCE IS PROVED

WELLINGTON, Last Night (PA)— If the passengers in the crashed airliner Kaka have perished, their dependents or relatives have no legal entitlement to claim the maximum £5OOO compensation provided by the Death and Accidents (Compensation Act, 1908, unless negligence is proved against the corporation, according to Mr K. J Crichton, secretary to the board,’ and staff supervisor of the New Zealand National Airway Corporation. Regulations published in February, 1947, restricted the liability of the corporation in respect of passengers’ claims, rising from death or personal injury to the passenger, said Mr. Crichton. Quoting the regulations he said: “No claim shall be made against a corporation in respect of personal injury to. or death of, any passenger caused by any occurrence in the course of any of operations of emplaning or deplaning at an aerodrome, except by a passenger or, in the case of death of a passenger, by, or for the benefit of, a wife, husband, parent and child of the passenger, or by the passenger's personal representative. No claim in respect of these matters shall be made for a larger sum than £5000.’” Facilities for personal accident cover for any passenger wishing to take out cover for a particular day, or for any amount required, regardless of negligence, were on sale at all booking offices, said Mr. Crichton. The regulations and by-laws were also available for perusal at all booking offices.