Backbencher

This article taken from the New Zealand Herald (online). This is from the upcoming Sunday issue, is apparently printed somewhat in advance of the date in our time zone.

It concerns a British female scientist working in a lab contracting meningococcal disease... I assume that is meningitis, apparently from working in a lab with samples of it. She had amputations that included, fingers, both legs, and an arm... so this is disastrous and her life is pretty well ruined. It may be debated whether it was due to her own negligence whether or not save procedures were followed... but the point that I found interesting here is that she is suing (for a relatively small amount, not the multiples of millions that you would expect if this were in our country) for damages.

I had been left with the impression from our classes that this was not done in New Zealand due to differences in the legal structure. Apparently it is more complex than I had first understood.

The amount seems inadequate compensation for her suffering, though... perhaps that is a part of the difference. She is only asking $331,000 NZ...which will not even begin to cover her lost quality of life.

All in all, a very tragic story.