Piatti v ACN 000 246 542 Pty Ltd [2020] NSWCA 168

Court of Appeal Supreme Court New South Wales Medium Neutral Citation: Piatti v ACN 000 246 542 Pty Ltd [2020] NSWCA 168 Hearing dates: 23 March 2020 Decision date: 28 August 2020 Before: Basten JA at [1]; McCallum JA at [30]; Simpson AJA at [77] Decision: The Court orders: (1) Allow the appeal. (2) Set aside the judgment of the Court below and in lieu thereof order judgment for the appellant against the respondents in the sum of $1,363,608.84. (3) Order the respondents to pay the appellant's costs of the appeal. (4) Dismiss the cross-appeals. (5) Order the cross-appellants to pay the cross-respondents' costs of the cross-appeals. Catchwords: DUST DISEASES — Damages — Loss of capacity to provide gratuitous domestic services to a dependant — where level of services needed by dependant increased after the time liability arose — whether damages capped by reference to the level of services being provided at that time — proper construction of s 15B of the Civil Liability Act 2002 (NSW) DUST DISEASES — Damages — Lost years — where primary judge satisfied that, but for the impact of his mesothelioma, the claimant (now deceased) would have continued to provide gratuitous domestic services to the dependant until the dependant's death — whether damages under s 15B can be awarded for "the lost years" Legislation Cited: Civil Liability Act 2002 (NSW), ss 3B, 15, 15A, 15B, 18 Compensation to Relatives Act 1897 (NSW) Dust Diseases Tribunal Act 1989 (NSW), ss 10(1), 11, 12B, 32(1) Law Reform (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1944 (NSW), s 2 Cases Cited: Amaca Pty Ltd v Phillips [2014] NSWCA 249 Amaca Pty Ltd v Raines [2018] NSWCA 216 Baker v The Queen [1975] AC 774 Bernicle v Cutelli [1982] 2 NSWLR 26 CSR Limited v Eddy (2005) 226 CLR 1; [2005] HCA 64 Dionisatos (for the Estate of the late George Dionysatos) v Acrow Formwork Scaffolding Pty Ltd (2015) 91 NSWLR 34; [2015] NSWCA 281 Federal Commissioner of Taxation v Consolidated Media Holdings Ltd (2012) 250 CLR 503; [2012] HCA 55 Gray v Richards (2014) 253 CLR 660; [2014] HCA 40 Kelly v The Queen (2004) 218 CLR 216; [2004] HCA 12 Nguyen v Nguyen (1990) 169 CLR 245; [1990] HCA 9 Piatti v ACN 000 246 542 Pty Ltd [2019] NSWDDT 7 Skelton v Collins (1966) 115 CLR 94; [1966] HCA 14 State of New South Wales v Perez (2013) 84 NSWLR 570; [2013] NSWCA 149 Sullivan v Gordon (1999) 47 NSWLR 319; [1999] NSWCA 338 Category: Principal judgment Parties: Roland Leon Piatti (as Legal Personal Representative of the Estate of the late Charles Rene Abegglen) (Appellant) ACN 000 246 542 Pty Ltd (First Respondent) Amaca Pty Limited (Second Respondent) Representation: Counsel: P C B Semmler QC / S Tzouganatos (Appellant) M Maconachie QC / G Rundle (First Respondent) D A Priestley SC (Second Responent)