WIDOW'S CLAIM

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1031, 23 July 1930, Page 12

WIDOW'S CLAIM

COMPENSATION SOUGHT FOR HUSBAND’S DEATH INJURY TO HAND Claiming- that her husband had contracted cancer, -which ended in his death in less than two years, through accidentally injuring his hand in striking a cow*. Frances Jeffs, the widow of William Henry Jeffs, sued William Thomas, a retired farmer, of Mount Albert, for compensation in the Arbitration Court today. Mr. Bagnall appeared for the plaintiff and Mr. Leary for the defendant. Jeffs, who was a labourer, employed on defendant’s farm at Maungaturoto in November, 1928, was receiving wages and keep equivalent to £5 weekly, according to the claim. In that month the widow contended her husband, while driving cows in the bails, swung his arm to strike one of the cows with his open palm in order to make the animal move quickly. In doing so the end of his ring finger struck one of the cow’s bones, injuring the metacarpal bone of the hand. She claimed her husband had been totally incapacitated from April 19 to July 7, 1929, for which he was paid compensation. He resumed work in July, 1929, and continued until October, 1929, when he developed, cancer, which it was claimed was caused by the injury to his hand. This condition continued until his death on June 5, 1930, the cause being cancer. The defence denied the allegations and stated that if Jeffs developed cancel* in his hand it was not the result of the accident which occurred while Jeffs was in the employment of the defendant. Depositions on these lines taken from Jeffs a few days before his death in the Auckland Hospital were submitted to the Court. In April, 192 9, there was no evidence of cancer in the tissue of Jeff’s hand, according to Dr, V. F. Usher. In October, however, a section of the growth removed showed the presence of the disease, the secondary grow’th of which extended to the spine. Radium treatment was given and although the condition of the hand improved, death supervened. Mr. Kenneth Mackenzie said that on seeing Jeffs, eleven' months after the accident, he formed the opinion that the patient had a true bone sarcoma. The injury to the metacarpal bone might be attributable to the force of a blow being transmitted along the lines of bones in the hand. (Proceeding.)