My mother’s recollections of her grandfather, Eduard LEMMENS, included his involvement in a serious car accident. She believed it occurred in a chauffered car in Switzerland which led to maybe brain damage or a coma but she was not sure. I have since been able to find mention of this accident and the serious injuries obtained through Eduard’s local newspapers at the time (via the Stad en Zee Oostende site).
On the 5th of December 1931, Eduard Lemmens (then living on Nieuwpoort Avenue in Westende, Belgium) was involved in a traffic accident. He had been travelling as a taxi passenger along Albert Avenue (which I have been unable to locate see update below) in Ghent (not Switzerland), when the vehicle collided with another car and was overturned. “As a result of the very violent impact, the last car, carrying three travellers, crashed while Van Pottelsberghe’s car swerved and stamped the car of beer merchant Haerinckx, domiciled in Dendermonde, Mont-St-Amand.” (Le Littoral, 20 May 1933, p3 c2)
Ostend biesse in Ghent
Last Saturday, one of our fellow citizens, Mr. Edouard Lemmens, was driving in a taxi with three other people along Albert Avenue in Ghent. Arriving at the corner of a street, the taxi was hit/overturned by a car.
The occupants were immediately removed and Mr. Lemmens, who had a head injury and a face injury, was taken to a clinic. We wish him a speedy recovery.Ostendais biesse à Gand
Samedi dernier, un de nos concitoyens, M. Edouard Lemmens roulait dans un taxi avec trois autres personnes le long de l’avenue Albert a Gand. Arrive au coin d’une rue le taxi fut renverse par une auto.On retira aussitot les occupants et M. Lemmens, blesse a la tete et au visage fut transporte dans une clinique. Nous lui souhaitons prompte guerison
(Le Littoral, 12 Dec 1931, p4 c1)
Eduard suffered what seemed to be a serious head injury as initial signs of recovery were only reported on a few weeks later. He was rendered unable to work as the entire left side of his body had been paralysed, and attended further appointments in a Ghent clinic.
Convalescence.
We are pleased to learn that Mr. Edouard Lemmens, who was recently injured in a car accident, is on the road to recovery.Convalescence.
Nous sommes heureux d’apprendre que M. Edouard Lemmens, qui fut recemment blesse dans un accident d’auto, est en bonne voie de guerison.(Le Littoral, 3 Jan 1932, p3 c3)
In 1932, a court date was set for the prosecution of the driver of the other vehicle, Mr Van Pottelsberghe but the court’s decision wasn’t actually reached until May the next year.
Court of Ghent
It is on the 11th of April in Ghent that the case of the car accident, of which M. Ed. Lemmens is the victim. It is M. Van Pottelsberghe who is being prosecuted.
Rechtbank van Gent
Het is op 11 April dat te Gent de zaak opgeroepen wodt van het autoogeval, waarvan M. Ed. Lemmens het slachtoffer is. ‘t Is M. Van Pottelsberghe die vervolgd wordt.(De Zeewacht, 19 Mar 1932, p6 c4)
The driver of the other vehicle, Albert Van Pottelsberghe was an ‘entrepreneur’ of Erenbodegem, but I have been unable to find any other information on him. He was found responsible and sentenced ‘on account of involuntary injuries caused by carelessness’ and ‘violation of traffic regulations’. Van Pottelsberghe was ordered to pay 93, 058 francs to Eduard to compensate for the past two years.
[One article mentioned the “capital that will be given to him is 880,000 francs” but I’m unsure as to what this means with regards to the 93, 058 francs already awarded to Lemmens.]
Courts
PENALTY COURT OF GENT
An old car accident. – On 5 December 1931, the car of Mr. Van Pottelsberghe, contractor in Eerembodeghem, ended up on the taxi of Mr. Jules Van Ertvelde, Albertlaan in Ghent, which was knocked over with the result that the three occupants were hurt: the taxi driver Van Ertvelde, M.M. Edouard Lemmens, living at Nieuwpoortlaan in Westende and Georges Stinon, employee in Schaerbeek. The investigation regarding this case seemed without end, although the responsibility of Van Pottelberghe, from the beginning was assumed. The investigation was particularly directed towards the situation of Mr. Lemmens, who was beaten totally incompetent to work, as the entire left side of his body was paralysed. All the strikes by doctors confirmed this and the victim had to submit himself to treatments in a clinic in Ghent. On Tuesday morning the case was summoned to the fining court in Ghent. After the pleadings the following verdict was pronounced: Van Pottelsberghe is sentenced on account of involuntary injuries caused by carelessness to pay a fine of 2,100 francs or a month’s imprisonment, on account of violation of the traffic regulations to twice 210 francs, a fine or 9 days and to pay the following fees: 250 francs to Stinon, 9,157 to Van Ertvelde and 93,058 francs, to Ed. Lemmens, this already preliminary title and subject to the possible worse consequences. The payment granted to M. Lemmens represents the compensation for the two past years. The capital that will be given to him is 880,000 francs.
Rechtbanken
BOETSTRAFFELIJKE RECHTBANK VAN GENT
Een oud autoongeval. — Een Oostendenaar die eene vergoeding bekomt.Den 5 December 1931 kwam de auto van den heer Van Pottelsberghe, aannemer te Eerembodeghem, terecht op de taxi van heer Jules Van Ertvelde, Albertlaan te Gent, die omgestooten werd met het gevolg dat de drie inzittenden gekwetst werden: de taxivoerder Van Ertvelde, M.M. Edouard Lemmens, wonende Nieuwpoortlaan te Westende en Georges Stinon, bediende te Schaerbeek. Het onderzoek nopens deze zaak scheen zonder einde, alhoewel de verantwoordelijkheid van Van Pottelberghe, van den beginne aangenomen werd. Het onderzoek was bijzonder gericht tegenover den toestand van M. Lemmens, die totaal onbekwaam tot werken geslagen word, daar heel de linkerkant van zijn lijf verlamd is. Alle slag van dokters bestatigden zulks en het slachtoffer moest zich zelf onderwerpen aan behandelingen in een Gentsche kliniek. Dinsdag morgen werd die zaak voor de boetstraffelijke rechtbank van Gent opgeroepen. Na de pleidooien werd het volgende vonnis uitgesproken: Van Pottelsberghe wordt veroordeeld uit hoofde van onvrijwillige kwetsuren door onvoorzichtigheid veroorzaakt tot het betalen van eene boete van 2.100 fr. of een maand gevangenis, uit hoofde van overtreding op het reglement voor het verkeer tot tweemaal 210 fr, boete of 9 dagen en tot betaling van de volgende vergoedingen: 250 fr. aan Stinon, 9.157 aan Van Ertvelde en 93.058 fr, aan Ed. Lemmens, dit al ten voorloopigen titel en onder voorbehoud van de mogelijke ergere gevolgen. De betaling toegekend aan M. Lemmens vertegenwoordigt de vergoeding voor de twee verloopene jaren. Het kapitaal, dat hem zal geschonken worden is van 880.000 frank.(De Zeewacht, 13 May 1933, p4 c2)
Courts of law
Low allowance to a fellow citizen who is the victim of a car accident
On 5 December 1931, the entrepreneur Albert Van Pottelsberghe, residing in Erembodegem, unleashed his car in Albert Avenue, Ghent, and collided with the car driven by the driver Jules Van Ertvelde, living on the said avenue. As a result of the very violent impact, the last car, carrying three travellers, crashed while Van Pottelsberghe’s car swerved and stamped the car of beer merchant Haerinckx, domiciled in Dendermonde, Mont-St-Amand.
This accident CAUSED three VICTIMS, the driver Van Ertvelde and two of the passengers, Georges Stienon, employee, residing on Felix Marchal Avenue, in Schaerbeek and Edouard Lemmens, residing on Nieuwpoort Avenue, in Westende. The investigation proved that Van Pottelsberghe was responsible for the accident. He appeared Tuesday morning before the Ghent Criminal Court, which sentences her to a fine of 2,100 francs or one month’s imprisonment for unintentional injuries due to carelessness, for violating the driving regulations at a fine of 210 francs or 9 days, and for paying the following damages: 250 francs to Stienon; 9,157 francs to Van Ertvelde and 92,053 francs to Lemmens, all provisional and subject to possible future action.Tribunaux
Maigre allocation a un coneitoyen victime d’un accident d’auto
Le 5 decembre 1931, l’entrepreneur Albert Van Pottelsberghe, demeurant a Erembodegem, deboucha avec son auto a l’avenue Albert, a Gand, et y entrea en collision avec la voiture conduite parle chauffeur Jules Van Ertvelde, habitant ladite avenue. Par suite du choc, tres violent, la derniere auto, transportant trois voyaguers, culbuta tandis que la voiture de Van Pottelsberghe fit une embardee et tamponna l’auto-camion du marchand de biere Haerinckx, domicilie chaussee de Termonde, a Mont-St-Amand.
Cet accident fit trois victimes, le chauffeur Van Ertvelde et deux des voyageurs, Georges Stienon, employe, demeurant avenue Felix Marchal, a Schaerbeek et Edouard Lemmens, habitant avenue de Nieuport, a Westende. L’enquete prouva que la responsabilite de l’accident etait imputable a Van Pottelsberghe. Celui-ci a comparu mardi matin devant le tribunal correctionnel de Gand qui la condamne, du chef de blessures involontaires par imprudence, a 2,100 francs d’amende ou un mois de prison, pour enfreinte aux reglements sur le roulage a deux fois 210 frs d’amende ou 9 jours, et au paiement des dommages-interets suivants: 250 francs a Stienon; 9.157 francs a Van Ertvelde et 92.053 francs a Lemmens, le tout a tilre provisoire et sous reserve des suite futures possibles.(Le Littoral, 20 May 1933, p3 c2)
Obviously being paralysed on one side of his body, would have a profound effect on his life but it doesn’t mention if the paralysis was temporary or permanent. He must’ve been a determined man as he was still able to add two more children to the family (for a total of 10!) despite his injuries (Frederick b. Feb 1933 and Micheline b. Jun 1935). My mother also recalls that they ‘ran chateaus’ and that her grandmother ‘ran the house as a Bed & Breakfast’. Although not mentioned in the articles, Eduard had previously worked in banking so perhaps the accident prevented him from continuing that career and the family needed to make a living in this new way (making use of the compensation money). Or perhaps they had already started this new business before the accident. Hopefully, the answers can be found one day in other family members.
Translated mostly with www.DeepL.com/Translator with some alterations.
Update:
Since posting, a distant Lemmens cousin helpfully explained that Albert became king so the avenue ‘Albertlaan’ was renamed ‘Koning Albertlaan’ (King Albert Avenue). King Albert I died in 1934 – the year after this accident. I have been able to find a 1930 map (in french) that names this street ‘Boulevard Albert’.
