MOTOR CAR ACCIDENT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 81, 22 August 1912, Page 8

MOTOR CAR ACCIDENT.

£75 DAMAGES. By Telegraph—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. Mr. Justice Edwards and a jury of four were occupied in the Supreme Court to-day in hearing a claim for £350 damages for injuries received through a motor-car accident. The plaintiff was Chow Yo Quin, a chemist, of Wellington, and the defendant George Pinnock,' a taxi-cab ownier, of Wellington. Mrs. Pinnock had also been joined in the action, but by agreement of counsel the case against her was not proceeded with. Mr. T. M. Wilford appeared for the plaintiff, and Mr. ,0. N. Beer.e for the defendant. It was alleged in the statement of claim that on June 14, 1912, the_ defendant, George Pinnock, drove a taxi-cab so carelessly and negligently that he struck plaintiff, who was crossing the street, causing him severe and permanent injuries, namely, the breaking of two ribs and a permanent injury to the left arm above the elbow. Mr. Wilford, in opening the case for the plaintiff, said that plaintiff was over sixty years of age, and had been resident in Wellington for about twenty years. At the time of the accident he | was crossing lower Taranaki street when j a car driven Ibv the defendant swung round from Courtenay place at a furious pace. Defendant was driving to catch the train, and his pace was from 17 to 20 miles an hour. He did not sound his horn, and plaintiff was given no warning of the approach of the car. In consequence of the accident plaintiff was now quite broken up. George Pinnock, in his statement of defence, admitted that plaintiff was struck by a taxi-cab driven by him. He denied that he had driven the car carelessly or negligently. He also denied that the bodily injury suffered by Ohow Yo Quin had , put the latter to any expense. He said that the alleged damage (if any) was caused by the negligence of Chow Yo Quin in crossing the street without exercising usual and reasonable circumspection. If there was no negligence on plaintiff's part then the alleged damage (if any) arose from an inevitable accident, and was caused by the -plaintiff suddenly stepping backwards in front of defendant's car, which was passing him at a slow speed. A large number of witnesses were examined, and the jury retired at 4.45 p.m. They returned at 5.5 p.m. with a verdict for the plaintiff for £75.