Allianz Australia Insurance Limited v Bennett [2020] NSWSC 825

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Allianz Australia Insurance Limited v Bennett [2020] NSWSC 825 Hearing dates: 23 April 2020 Date of orders: 29 June 2020 Decision date: 29 June 2020 Jurisdiction: Common Law Before: Harrison AsJ Decision: The Court declares that: (1) The certificate and reasons of the review panel dated 9 September 2019 as it relates to findings on whole person impairment arising from the accident on 29 August 2019 is vitiated by an error of law and jurisdictional error. The Court makes an order: (2) In the nature of certiorari removing into the Court the certificate and reasons of the review panel dated 9 September 2019 as it relates to findings on whole person impairment and quashing that certificate. The Court further orders that: (3) The matter is remitted to the State Insurance Regulatory Authority to be determined according to law. (4) The first defendant is to pay the plaintiff's costs on an ordinary basis. Catchwords: ADMINISTRATIVE LAW – Judicial review – State Insurance Regulatory Authority – Review of a certificate of a review panel –Failure to properly apply cl 1.34 of the Motor Accident Permanent Impairment Guidelines – Whether dementia is a physical or psychological injury for the purposes of assessing impairment Legislation Cited: 1.5, 1.6, 1.7, 1.21, 1.32, 1.33, 1.34, 1.35, 1.36, 1.37, 1.213 Motor Accident Permanent Impairment Guidelines, cls Motor Accidents Compensation Act 1999 (NSW), ss 44, 58, 61, 63, 131, 133 Supreme Court Act 1970 (NSW), s 69 Cases Cited: Allianz Australia Insurance Ltd v Cervantes (2012) 61 MVR 443 Allianz Australia Insurance Ltd v Larriera [2016] NSWSC 441 Allianz Australia Insurance Ltd v Rutland [2015] NSWCA 328 Boyce v Allianz Australia Insurance Ltd (2018) 96 NSWLR 356; [2018] NSWCA 22 DNM Mining Ply Ltd v Barwick [2004] NSWCA 137 Dranichnikov v Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs (2003) 197 ALR 389; 77 ALJR 1088; [2003] HCA 26 GIO General v Smith & Ors; Insurance Australia t/as NRMA Insurance v Smith & Ors [2011] NSWSC 802 Jobling v Associated Dairies [1982] AC 794 K-Mart Australia Ltd v McCann [2004] NSWCA 283 Richardson bht Richardson v QBE Insurance (Australia) Ltd [2020] NSWSC 366 Rodger v De Gelder (2015) 71 MVR 514 Smith v Insurance Australia [2018] NSWSC 1606 Wingfoot Australia Partners Pty Ltd v Kocak (2013) 252 CLR 480; 303 ALR 64 Category: Principal judgment Parties: Allianz Australia Insurance Limited (Plaintiff) Ian Bennett (First Defendant) State Insurance Regulatory Authority (Second Defendant) Wayne Mason, Michael Diamond and Peter Wallace in their capacity as medical assessors of SIRA, comprising the Medical Assessors Review Panel appointed by SIRA (Third Defendant) Representation: Counsel: K Rewell SC with J Gumbert (Plaintiff) J Turnbull SC with M Cleary (First Defendant)