" The young man explained the
accident in detail. "He complained about the condition of his
machine, and his foreman told him he could stick to his job there or
quit."
"Forced him to work on an unsafe machine or quit?"
"Yes."
Bonbright stared at his blotter a moment. "What did you want to see
me about?"
"We'd better settle. Right now I can probably run up and put a wad of
bills under Hammil's nose and his wife's, and it'll look pretty big.
Before some ambulance-chaser gets hold of him. He hasn't been able to
talk until awhile ago, so nobody's seen him."
"Your idea is that we could settle for less than a jury would give
him?"
The young man laughed. "A jury'd give him four or five thousand,
maybe more. Doctor says the injury is permanent. I've settled more
than one like it for three or four hundred."
"The man won't be able to work again?"
"Won't be good for much."
"And we're responsible!" Bonbright said it to himself, not to the
young man. "Is this thing done often--settling these things for--what
we can squeeze them down to?"
"Of course.
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