DAMAGES AWARDED

Waikato Times, Volume 125, Issue 20955, 7 November 1939, Page 2

DAMAGES AWARDED

TRAM CONDUCTOR’S SCARS CHIEF JUSTICE’S COMMENT (By TelegTaph.—Press Association) WELLINGTON, Monday A tramway conductor, Cyril Frank Karsten, claimed £SOO general damages, £l3 2s 2d special damages, in the Supreme Court to-day from the Wellington City Corporation. Plaintiff was conductor on a tram travelling toward Island Bay on May 19 and when another tram ran into the back of it he suffered injury to 1 the nose and eyes, but the main dis- i pute before the Court was the fixing of damages for scars. The corporation admitted that the accident was caused by the negligence of the motorman in the second tram. The Chief Justice, Sir Michael \ Myers, said he would not be surprised j 1 if the jury thought the amount j claimed was not only excessive but ; grossly exorbitant. If he w r ere assess- j ing damages plaintiff would get only j a very small proportion of the amount claimed. Plaintiff’s capacity j for work and earning a living had ■ not been affected. Facial disfigure- j ment was very much more serious j for a woman than for a man. The jury, after a retirement of 25 j minutes, awarded plaintiff £IOO general damages and full special damages.