GYAN vs. ASHANTI GOLDFIELDS CORPORATION [1990]DLCA2248

Date	1990-05-31
Suit No.
Citation No.	[1990]DLCA2248

AMPIAH JA

ESSIEM JA

OFORI-BOATENG JJ.A.

ANAGLATE FOR THE PLAINTIFF-APPELLANT.

AMARTEIFIO (WITH HIM KOFI ANSERE) FOR THE DEFENDANT-RESPONDENTS.

[1990]DLCA2248
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >GYAN<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>ASHANTI
GOLDFIELDS CORPORATION<o:p></o:p>[COURT OF
APPEAL, ACCRA]<o:p></o:p>[1991] 1
GLR 466<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">

</div>COUNSEL:<o:p></o:p>ANAGLATE
FOR THE PLAINTIFF-APPELLANT.<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">

AMARTEIFIO
(WITH HIM KOFI ANSERE) FOR THE DEFENDANT-RESPONDENTS. <o:p></o:p>

AMPIAH,
ESSIEM AND OFORI-BOATENG JJ.A. <o:p></o:p>

</div>JUDGMENT
OF ESSIEM J.A.<o:p></o:p>This is
an appeal by the plaintiff against the judgment of the High Court, Kumasi
presided over by Okyere J. by which the plaintiff’s action against the
defendants was dismissed.<o:p></o:p>The claim
was for:<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-bottom:5.0pt;mso-add-space:
auto;text-align:justify;text-indent:-.25in;mso-pagination:none;mso-list:l2 level1 lfo1;
border:none;mso-padding-alt:31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow:yes">(1). “Damages for personal injuries, loss
and expenses caused by the negligence of the defendants, their servant or agent
in the administering of an injection on or about 11 May 1976 in the defendants’
hospital. <o:p></o:p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom:5.0pt;mso-add-space:
auto;text-align:justify;text-indent:-.25in;mso-pagination:none;mso-list:l2 level1 lfo1;
border:none;mso-padding-alt:31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow:yes">(2). Interest thereon at 20 per cent. <o:p></o:p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom:5.0pt;mso-add-space:
auto;text-align:justify;text-indent:-.25in;mso-pagination:none;mso-list:l2 level1 lfo1;
border:none;mso-padding-alt:31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow:yes">(3). Costs.<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-bottom:5.0pt;mso-add-space:
auto;text-align:justify;text-indent:-.25in;mso-pagination:none;mso-list:l2 level1 lfo1;
border:none;mso-padding-alt:31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow:yes">(4). Further or other reliefs.”<o:p></o:p>The facts
giving rise to this action are adequately summed up by the trial judge in his
judgment. There is complete agreement between the parties that the infant
plaintiff did receive treatment from the defendants’ hospital and suffered the
paralysis alleged after the treatment. The plaintiff contends that the facts
point to negligence on the part of the defendants’ agent or servant who
attended and treated the plaintiff when he reported for treatment at the
hospital.<o:p></o:p>The basis
of the charge of negligence was pleaded in paragraph (3) of the statement of
claim in these words: “The said nurse was negligent in the said treatment in
that he failed to follow laid down medical regulations or at all before
administering the said injection.” This was repeated in an amended statement of
claim filed in the High Court on 14 June 1982. In this amendment the plaintiff
set out particulars of further negligence as follows:<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:5.0pt;
margin-left:.5in;text-align:justify;mso-pagination:none;border:none;mso-padding-alt:
31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow:yes">“On or
about 21 September 1979 as a result of treatment received from the Orthopaedic
Training Centre, Adoagyiri, Nsawam, hip flexion surgery was recommended for the
plaintiff with all the specifications attached from the said Orthopaedic
Training Centre. The defendants contrary to the proper directives from the said
Orthopaedic Training Centre negligently performed the said operation thus
further dislocating the right leg of the plaintiff. By reason of the negligence
aforesaid the plaintiff sustained severe injuries to the right leg and thighs.”<o:p></o:p>The
amended statement of claim then proceeded to particularise the nature of
injuries sustained in the “second incident.” These particulars are not
necessary for the purpose of this judgment. Thus the plaintiff was in no doubt
as to the cause of the injury he has suffered. It was, as far as he was
concerned, due to the negligence of the defendants’ servant that he had been
paralysed.<o:p></o:p>