Woman squashed by cow airlifted to hospital

A young Taupo woman had to be airlifted to Waikato Hospital. Photo / Supplied

A young Taupo woman who was squashed by a cow had to be airlifted to Waikato Hospital in a "great deal of pain" yesterday.

Taupo-based Greenlea Rescue Helicopter pilot Nat Every said the woman was picked up from a rural area southwest of Taupo about 8.30am yesterday.

She was initially in a great deal of pain before she was treated at the scene and flown to Waikato Hospital.

Meanwhile, ACC statistics reveal the most expensive injury over the past two years was caused by a horse and cost $855,361.

An injury caused by 'cattle', totalling $93,322, was the most expensive for the 2014/15 period.

As for the animal which is the cause of most claims? Dogs, with 18,806 claims lodged in 2013/14 costing $10,303,510.00.

In 2014/15 that grew to 19,145 claims that cost slightly more on just over $12 million.
Injuries involving horses were next, followed by cattle and sheep in both periods.

Horses injuries were the most costly too reaching $19,763,685 in 2014 and $22,277,077 in 2015.

An ACC spokesperson said the number of injuries was proportional to the amount of animals in New Zealand, not because they present the greatest danger.

As for dog-related injuries, they were not specific to attacks and also included being kicked, butted or bitten and accidents involving people falling over the dog, a dog standing on a toe or getting an infected flea bite from a dog.

Lacerations, punctures and stings were the most common type of injury in both years, followed by soft tissue injuries, fractures and dislocations, inhalations or ingestions and dental injuries.

The most common cause of an injury was a person being struck by an animal or person, followed by a person getting injured after losing their balance.