The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-10-28
COMP ENsATION |S
 AID ID MPL0YES
Reports Show That Dann- ages Awarded Under Law
 Much Higher Than Courts
STATE CAPITAL RDRFAU ]
 THE AGE-HERALD

The average amount of damages recovered in damage suits in the Jefferson county circuit court is only $127.65 per case, while the average amount of damage awarded under the workmen's compensation act is $602.65, according to a study of the Alabama workmen's compensation law by the United States Department of Labor. The analysis covers the four-year administration of the law by Mrs. Marie Bankhead Owen.
 The study as appearing in the monthly labor review of the United States Department of Labor for Oc- tober, 1923, is as follows:
 "The first report containing the results of the operation of the Ala bama compensation act during the four-year period ending December 31, 1922, has just been published by the Alabama workmen's compensa- tion commissioner. The Alabama compensation act Is an elective one and applies only to employers hav- ing 16 or more employees. The law is administered through the courts, although the workmen's compensa- tion commissioner has limited super visory authority including the power to require employers to report their accidents to the commissioner.
 Tn addition to data on the number and cost of industrial accidents the report contains considerable matter of general interest, including re- view of compensation insurance, leg islation and administration in other states. The report also contains the results of a study of damage suit settlements in the state during the year preceding the operation of tho workmen's compensation law. It was found that the average duration of do emf In ha ni n Jefferson county extended over period of 13 months and IS days. The total amount of damages sought was S375, 1000 whereas the total amount of damages recovered was $4,112.50, of which meager amount perhaps half was paid out in attorneys fees. The average amount of damages average amount of damages recivered was $127.65 (per case).
 Tn contrast the total amount of compensation received for the SS workmens compensation cases se- lected at random was $20,326S1. The average amount paid in each case was s6O2.65 with no lawyers fees to be deducted, no time lost in the courts and no unpleasant relations established between the employer and employe. Under the compensa- tion law there were no suits in court, but all serious and death case settlements were reviewed by the circuit judge. In non-serious cases payments began within two. weeks after injury with medical attention provided in all cases.
 There follows also two tables showing in detail the number and cost of compensable accidents, by in- dustry and extent of disability. It is shown that 16,226 compensable ac- cidents occurred during this period and that $2,4S2,644 in compensation and medical benefits was paid out by employers of the state, or their in surance carriers, during the three years. Coal mining leads with 4,930 accidents. Blast furnaces and steel works are second with 2,S74 acci- dents, and sawmills are third with 115S accidents.
 'The report also contains detailed tables showing classification of acci- dents by cause, by geographical To- cation and sex and age of injured employees"