Injured in

£4,673 to Samoan Injured in

A Samoan Labourer, Lo

Leaso, was awarded £4,675’ damages in the Hamilton Supreme Court recently in a against the Ministry of Works was severely injured at Whakas on December 21, 1954, whir 44-gallon drum exploded being filled with compressed a Leaso claimed £15,000 ge damages and £673/11/8 se damages.

The Ministry of Works,; employer, admitted liability fo accident, which occurred Leaso was assisting to refuj grader. He suffered severe inr to the left side of his face the drum burst. His left eyr damaged and a collarbone broken. Later his left eye removed in hospital, and the eye also deteriorated, dutj sympathetic inflammation froi other. It was stated that he probably lose the sight oi right eye also.

Counsel for the defen claimed that the defendant not be held liable for deterioration of the right because this was due toe unreasonable refusal of the pis. to have the left eye removed first advised to do so by a 4 The judge, in awarding dan said that as a not well-edu Samoan living in a foreign co and with no relatives there, L. refusal to have his eye remov first was understandable. B< was satisfleld that Leaso clearly warned of the dangen his refusal to the removal o eye was, from the standpoint i average man, unreasonable, defendant was, therefore, not; for the condition of Lease’s eye.

He added: “Giving the mat! general damages the best consE tion I can, I come to the cone: that a proper sum to awae £4,000.”