In January 2017, local man Robert Brownlie sent me this interesting map appearing to show the location of a Blantyre accident involving a man named Osadorous Michikas, the claimant against the Lanarkshire Trams Company. Asking for more information, I was able to research this incident as follows:

An action in which Osadorous Michikas , vanman , 102 Main Street , Bellshill sued the Lanarkshire Tramways Company for £500 damages for personal injuries was heard on Thursday 1st February 1917.

It was stated by the Mr Michikas that on April 5th 1916 , he was driving his employer’s horse and lorry along the road from Blantyre to Burnbank and he suggested that when he was nearing Whistleberry railway bridge, one of the companys’ tramcars was driven into the rear end of his lorry , with ihe result that the lorry was swung round, and his right leg was crushed between the lorry and the sleeper fence on the left side of the road.

For the defence it was stated that the horse panicked and swerved round on the pavement, with the result that the rear end of the lorry was swung round and thrown against the tramcar. Both sides of the story was heard and the hearing was adjourned.

The case resumed on the Friday and the jury were absent for 55 minutes before they came back with the verdict that Mr Michikas was being truthful and that he should be compensated. Mr Michikas was awarded £175 in damages, a sum today worth £14,000.

However, the tramways company was unwilling to accept the verdict.

In the Second Division of the Court of Session on Tuesday 26th June 1917, before the Lord Justice Clerk and Salvesen, Guthrie, the Division disposed an application by the Lanarkshire Tramways Company for a new trial stating that it should be refused. The Division refused the motion for a new trial, advised the tramways to drop any talk of further action and re-applied the February verdict in favour of Mr Michikas, with expenses.

Sources: Bellshill Speaker Newspaper Friday 29th June 1917