The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-04-30
THE VALUE OF HUMAN LIMBS.
Sums Paid to Unfortunate Subjects
of Accidents.

It would probably surprise the ordinary
man 10 learn that under certain clrcum-
stances, his body is valued at not less
than &l,Sb. But the average assessments
fixed by judge and juries for victims Of
railway and other accidents amply sup
port this statement
Brains are scnsibly valued at the high
est rates. especially when the victim
earns his living by mental pursuits :
notable example was that Of an American
author, who sustained a fractured skull
which incapa citated him for nearly twelve
months. a sympathetic jury awarded him
g, 00n, which the reluctant railway com
pany was compelled to disburse-
Probably the largest amount ever paid
for an accident to limbs was the sum
granted to another American traveller
who was famed for life by a railway col
lision. He received the sum of CISCO.
The money value OF crushed or broken
legs varies amazingly according to the
status and profession Of their owners. Az
much as $500 has been assessed in this
country for an accident TO a leg, while
the minimum amount for q fractured leg
was eighty guineas, received by q domeS-
tic servant The average sums awarded
for injured legs would appear TO be about
ESQ each or $50 for two. \ London
street vender was granted the sum OF $3.50
for legs smashed BIT a loaded omnibus In
New York a-ttttIe girl lost a leg and an
arm by an accident on street railway
and an equitable jury assessed the
calamity al ego
Crushed arms and hands also have their
golden compensations. A gentleman who
had his right hand smashed by q CataS-
Jrophe on the District Railway some years
ago was barely remunerated by the sum
OF E5g- For a similar misfortune on a
German railway a notable author was
awarded the adequate amount of ei50.
a badly broken arm, sustained by a
traveller on Texas railway, brought him
the welcome gift Of $3.50 An arm smash
ed by a coaching accident induced a sym
pathetic jury TO award the lady victim
the sum OF one hundred guiQeas, which
wealthy TlTNyr{efn- =rNYaa2laT CT
hut finally paid The average sum paid
for broken arms is about &100 the maxi
mum amount being $3.50. &.
Fingers also have their financial value
as the records Of the courts attest For
a crushed finger. sustained in a railway
accident, some years since, q Mr. b Ford
nam received the sum OF twenty-five
guineas.. The loss Of four fingers, by
railway mishap in France, made a Men
tone merchant the richer by $40. For
reluctantly parting with his right thumb
in a collision on an American railway a
citizen of Maine was compensated to the
tune of go. For some IneXpiiCabie reason
toes are invariably regarded as of less
value than fingers. From three gUiueaS
meut for these pedal extremitieS. For a
severed toe. incurred il a railway diSaS-
ter in the United States the injured own
er was awarded the scant compensation
Of "a
Spinal injuries are rightly regarded as
worthy of substantial awards A faulty
pidlloI III dt Il GER tam country station leu
to the serious fall Of a local gentleman,
who thereby sustained severe injury to
his spine. \ thoughtful jury decided to
award him the not eXOTbitant sum of
$500 In another case of spinal damage,
which uHhappily terminated in paralysis,
the sufferer received e, eco as cOmpensa-
ton.
Injuries to the head, especially when
they assume a serious aspect, are COM
penSated on a fairly liberal scale. An
English lady sustained severe hurt to her
head and face while jOuTneying by coach
on one occasion, and the jury who de-
Cided the case considered that G1T0 was
not too heavy a claim under the circum-
stances. In another case a kick from a
FESTIVE horse, resulting in a broken head
for n gentleman standing near, compelled
the owner of the animal to forfeit the sum
If $50 as compensation.