Brown v Insurance Australia Group Ltd t/as NRMA Insurance Ltd [2020] NSWSC 1597

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Brown v Insurance Australia Group Ltd t/as NRMA Insurance Ltd [2020] NSWSC 1597 Hearing dates: 11 November 2020 Decision date: 12 November 2020 Jurisdiction: Common Law Before: Adamson J Decision: (1) Dismiss the amended summons. (2) Order the plaintiff to pay the first defendant's costs of the proceedings. Catchwords: ADMINISTRATIVE LAW — Error of law on the face of the record — Whether third defendant erred in failing to comply with guidelines issued under the Motor Accidents Compensation Act 1999 (NSW) ADMINISTRATIVE LAW — Ground of review other than procedural fairness — Unreasonableness — Whether third defendant acted legally unreasonably in assessing the plaintiff's whole person impairment by use of an analogy ADMINISTRATIVE LAW — Procedural fairness — Whether third defendant failed to afford procedural fairness in re-examining the plaintiff ADMINISTRATIVE LAW — Procedural fairness — Whether third defendant was improperly constituted during plaintiff's re-examination — Whether all members of a Review Panel must conduct a re-examination ADMINISTRATIVE LAW — Ground of review other than procedural fairness — Irrelevant and relevant considerations — Whether third defendant erred by failing to consider particular prior medical opinions Legislation Cited: Evidence Act 1995 (NSW), s 55 Motor Accidents Compensation Act 1999 (NSW), ss 44, 58, 61, 63, 65, 81, 131, 133 Supreme Court Act 1970 (NSW), s 69 Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005 (NSW), rr 42.1, 59.10 Workplace Injury Management and Workers Compensation Act 1998 (NSW), ss 327, 328 Cases Cited: AAI Ltd trading as GIO v Cooley [2016] NSWSC 434 Allianz Australia Insurance Ltd v Cervantes [2012] NSWCA 244 Allianz Australia Insurance Ltd v Rutland [2015] NSWCA 328 Boyce v Allianz Australia Insurance Ltd (2018) 96 NSWLR 356; [2018] NSWCA 22 Bradley v Insurance Australia Ltd t/as NRMA Insurance [2015] NSWSC 950 Frost v Kourouche (2014) 86 NSWLR 214; [2014] NSWCA 39 Gwyther v Insurance Australia t/as NRMA Insurance & Ors [2018] NSWSC 1441 IAG Ltd t/as NRMA Insurance v Tarabay [2018] NSWSC 1836 Lu v AAI Ltd t/as AAMI [2019] NSWSC 368 Mackenzie v Allianz Australia Insurance Ltd (No. 2) [2015] NSWSC 1320 Meeuwissen v Boden (2010) 78 NSWLR 143; [2010] NSWCA 253 Minister for Aboriginal Affairs v Peko-Wallsend Limited (1986) 162 CLR 24; [1986] HCA 40 Minister for Immigration and Ethnic Affairs v Wu Shan Liang (1996) 185 CLR 259; [1996] HCA 6 Motor Accidents Authority of New South Wales v Mills (2010) 78 NSWLR 125; [2010] NSWCA 82 Re Minister for Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs; Ex parte Lam (2003) 214 CLR 1; [2003] HCA 6 Rodger v De Gelder [2015] NSWCA 211 Siddik v WorkCover Authority of New South Wales [2008] NSWCA 116 Wellman v CIC Allianz Australia Insurance Ltd [2019] NSWSC 1353 Wingfoot Australia Partners Pty Ltd v Kocak (2013) 252 CLR 480; [2013] HCA 43 Texts Cited: Motor Accidents Authority Medical Assessment Service, Review Panel Practice Note 3/2005 – The Review Panel Process (1 October 2008) State Insurance Regulatory Authority, Medical Assessment Guidelines (11 July 2008), cll 9.10, 9.12 11.1, 11.15, 16.21 State Insurance Regulatory Authority, Motor Accident Permanent Impairment Guidelines (1 June 2018), cll 1.5, 1.17, 1.21, 1.24, 1.40, 1.50 Category: Principal judgment Parties: Christie Brown (Plaintiff) Insurance Australia Group Ltd t/as NRMA Insurance Ltd (First Defendant) State Insurance Regulatory Authority (Second Defendant) The Motor Accidents Medical Assessment Service Review Panel constituted under s 63 of the Motor Accidents Compensation Act 1999 (NSW), as appointed by SIRA (Assessor Ian Cameron, Assessor Robin Fitzsimons, Assessor Geoffrey Stubbs) (Third Defendant) Representation: Counsel: C Hart (Plaintiff) J Gumbert / M J Jones (First Defendant) Submitting appearances (Second and Third Defendants)