§ 34. Sir W. Waylandasked the Secretary of State for War what responsibility does the War Office accept for reimbursing a hospital for the cost of a patient injured by an Army vehicle, even though the cause of the accident may have been purely accidental or due to contributory negligence on the part of the injured person, or when the cause of the accident is in dispute?
§ Mr. SandysWhen a person is afforded emergency treatment as the result of an accident arising out of the use of a War Department vehicle on duty on a road, claims are accepted against Army funds for the cost of such treatment at the rates and in the circumstances specified in Section 16 of the Road Traffic Act, 1934, notwithstanding that that part of the 1245 Act does not apply to the Crown. Refund of other hospital expenses is considered in connection with any claim to compensation arising out of the accident. In general, the War Office accepts liability in respect of such expenses to the extent to which a private employer would be liable in similar circumstances.
§ Sir W. WaylandIs the hon. Member aware that in many cases the district paymaster has refused to recognise claims made by hospitals when an accident was not absolutely due to the Army driver, or where it could not be attributed either to one side or the other, and that in such cases compensation has often been refused?
§ Mr. SandysThe payments to be made are laid down quite clearly in Section 16 of the Road Traffic Act. Those payments are made.