COMPENSATION CLAIM.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVII, Issue 4948, 8 March 1926, Page 3

COMPENSATION CLAIM.

INJURED AT TIMBER MILL

JURY AWARDS £750.

A claim for £1175 damages was brought in the Supreme Court at Hamilton on Wednesday by Clarence Oliver Bachelor, sa.wmill worker, against Ellis and Burnand, Ltd. The claim arose, out of an accident, which occurred to plaintiff while driving a horse attached to a truck of lags .at defendants’ -nil’ at Manunui. Plaintiff, it seems, called at the mill one night and asked for a jcb. was no vacancy, .but the manager, out of sympathy for the young fellow, who had only been in the country a few weeks, created a job "for him. He X was put on as what is known Jas “slabbing”—filling up a truck with timber slabs;, hitching ,a horse, and taking the truck some distance away. The tramway lay between two wajls of piled-up slabs, and, according to plaintiff, the horse started off at a trot, necessitating, him running to keep pace with it. Finally the truck overtook the horse, causing it to increase its speed. Plaintiff wasf'knocked down and ba,dly injured about the legs and: abdomen, reducing his physical capacity, according to medical evidence, by 25 to 30 per cent. It was established that the horse was not provided with a bridle or bit, nor the truck with a bTake. It was contended by plaintiff that negligence was shown in the above respect, and by him not being informed that he required a spragg to 1 brake the truck. Evidence was; brought by. the defence to show that the horse was a perfectly docile and intelligent animal, and had never been known to bolt before; that bridles a,nd bits were not in common use in such work, being a hindrance rather than a help ; and that where the tramway was level trucks did not have brakes, which would be of little, use. The accident occurred within five minutes; of plaintiff starting work and during his conveyance of the first loajd. .The jury returned a verdict in 'favour of plaintiff for £750. Of this| amount £93 had alrea’dy been paid, so that judgment was entered for plaintiff for £657.