TOWN EDITION. The Daily Telegraph TUESDAY, AUGUST 16, 1881.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3161, 16 August 1881, Page 2

TOWN EDITION. The Daily Telegraph TUESDAY, AUGUST 16, 1881.

The New Zealand Accident Insurance Company has published a list of claims paid by the company during the six mouths ended June 30, 1881. The variety of the claims, and amounts paid afford a strange list of accidents, and of assessed compensation. The number of claims was one hundred and twentyseven, and the amount paid £1,344 13s 4d. The amounts range from £1 for a steel shaving flying into the eye of the claimant, to £500 on account of a case of death by a fall from a horse. Sprained ankles obtain payments from 30s to £7 ; a poisoned finger from a cut by a dirty knife got £14, and a sheepfarmer while vaulting over a fence, and spraining his knee received £9. An unmarried lady while dancing, met with the somewhat uncommon accident of a black eye and a bruised cheek, and was paid £4 10s to solace her during recovery. The list only gives the bare outline of the nature of each of the claims, so we cannot guess whether the lady fell while dancing with a clumsy partner, collided against a pillar, or had a fight in the ball room. The sum of £33 was paid to a contractor who fractured his shoulder; a busbman got £32 for a severe cut on the foot with an a.c, and a common cut from a knife obtained £2 compensation. A farmer received £2 10s for being bitten by a centipede. A commercial traveller was paid £8 when he broke his leg, but another man got ten guineas for a sprain. No matter what the accident may be, or however trifling, if the sufferer has insured in that office he promptly receives compensation in proportion to his injury. The list of payments include " thrown from a horse, £7" ; " struck on finger by cricket ball, £14;" "kicked by a horse, £10 10s"; " stepped on by a cow while milking, £3"; "thrown from a trap, £6"; " scratch from a rusty nail, £13." One gentleman was " kicked on the leg by a friend's horse while riding," and he got £28 for his misfortune; and a publican was paid £24 for mistaking an over-grown ditch for firm land. The obvious lesson to be learned from this list is that no one should be without an accident insurance ticket in his pocker, and a friend to certify to any injury that may be received.