Mouzakzak v The Nominal Defendant (No. 3) [2020] NSWDC 423

District Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Mouzakzak v The Nominal Defendant (No. 3) [2020] NSWDC 423 Hearing dates: 27-31 July 2020 Date of orders: 06 August 2020 Decision date: 06 August 2020 Jurisdiction: Civil Before: Abadee DCJ Decision: See paragraph 259 Catchwords: TORTS – negligence – motor vehicle accident – claim for damages against Nominal Defendant – whether unidentified vehicle collided with vehicle in which plaintiff was front-seat passenger, causing it to veer off roadway and strike a tree EVIDENCE – civil standard of proof – where Nominal Defendant's alternative version of incident involves suggested fraud or dishonesty by driver – whether allegation affects ultimate onus of proof Legislation Cited: Evidence Act 1995 (NSW), s 140 Motor Accidents Compensation Act 1999 (NSW), s 118 Cases Cited: Briginshaw v Briginshaw (1938) 60 CLR 336 Jones v Dunkel (1959) 101 CLR 298 Luxton v Vines (1952) 85 CLR 352 McLennan v Nominal Defendant [2014] NSWCA 332 New South Wales v Fuller-Lyons [2014] NSWCA 424 Nguyen v Tran [2018] NSWCA 215 Telfer v Telfer (2014) 87 NSWLR 176 The Nominal Defendant v Cordin [2019] NSWCA 85 Category: Principal judgment Parties: Ms S Mouzakzak The Nominal Defendant Representation: Counsel: Mr H Marshall SC and Mr J Tryon for the plaintiff Mr K Rewell SC for the defendant

Solicitors: Prominent Lawyers (Plaintiff) Hall & Wilcox (Defendant) File Number(s): 2018/231550 Publication restriction: Nil