Lee (a pseudonym) v Dhupar [2020] NSWDC 717

District Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Lee (a pseudonym) v Dhupar [2020] NSWDC 717 Hearing dates: 16, 17, 18, 26 April; 3, 4, 27, 28 June; 1 July and 30 August 2019, 14 August and 17 November 2020 Date of orders: 19 November 2020 Decision date: 19 November 2020 Jurisdiction: Civil Before: Judge Levy SC Decision: 1. Verdict and judgment for the plaintiff in the sum of $408,700; 2. The defendant is to pay the plaintiff's costs on the ordinary basis unless otherwise ordered; 3. The exhibits may be returned; 4. Liberty to apply on 7 days' notice if further or other orders are required. Catchwords: TORTS – professional negligence – gynaecological surgery for elective sterilisation – failed Filshie clip tubal ligation leading to unwanted pregnancy – rejection of defence of inherent risk pursuant to s 5I of the Civil Liability Act 2002 – rejection of defence of peer professional practice pursuant to s 5O of the Civil Liability Act 2002 – findings of negligence and causation of harm; DAMAGES – assessment of claimed heads of damage – whether plaintiff's claimed economic loss was incurred as a result of psychiatric illness due to conception, pregnancy and birth or whether economic loss was due to the plaintiff rearing or maintaining her child – construction of s 71(1)(b) of the Civil Liability Act 2002 Legislation Cited: Civil Liability Act 2002 (NSW), s 5B, s 5C, s 5D, s 5E, s 5I, s 5O, s 12(1), s 17A, s 27, s 70, s 71, Pt 11 Court Suppression and Non-publication Orders Act 2010 (NSW), s 7 and s 8(1)(a), (c), (e) Evidence Act 1995 (NSW), s 60, s 136, s 140(1) UCPR r 31.27(1)(c), Sch 7, cl 3(e), r 31.20(2)(j) Cases Cited: Adeels Palace Pty Ltd v Moubarak; Adeels Palace Pty Ltd v Bou Najem (2009) 238 CLR 420; [2009] HCA 48 Allied Pastoral Holdings Pty Ltd v FCT [1983] 1 NSWLR 1 Amaca Pty Ltd v Ellis [2010] HCA 5 Amadio Pty Ltd v Henderson (1998) FCR 1490; [1998] FAC 823 Angel v Hawkesbury Council [2008] NSWCA 130 Blacktown City Council v Hocking [2008] NSWCA 144 Brodie v Singleton Shire Council; Ghantous v Hawkesbury Shire Council (2001) CLR 512; [2001] HCA 29 Browne v Dunn (1893) 6 R 67 Cattanach v Melchior (2003) 215 CLR 1; [2003] HCA 38 CGU Insurance Ltd v Porthouse (2008) 235 CLR 103, [2008] HCA 30 Clyne v Deputy Federal Commissioner of Taxation (1981) 150 CLR 1, [1981] HCA 40 Container Terminals Australia Ltd v Huseyin [2008] NSWCA 320 Dasreef Pty Ltd v Hawchar (2011) 243 CLR 588; [2011] HCA 21 Daw v Toyworld (NSW) Pty Ltd [2001] NSWCA 25 Dobler v Halvorsen (2007) 70 NSWLR 151; [2007] NSWCA 335 Elayoubi v Zipser [2008] NSWCA 335 Fox v Percy [2003] HCA 22; 214 CLR 118 Foxtel Management Pty Ltd v Seven Cable Television Pty Ltd [2000] FCA 1159 Goode v Angland [2017] NSWCA 311 Goodrich Aerospace Pty Ltd v Arsic [2006] NSWCA 187 Graham v Baker (1961) 106 CLR 340; [1961] HCA 48 HG v The Queen (1999) 197 CLR 414; [1999] HCA 2 Inside Vacations Pty Ltd v Young (2010) 78 NSWLR 641; [2010] NSWCA 137 Kocis v SE Dickens Pty Ltd [1998] 3 VR 408 Leotta v Public Transport Commission of NSW (1976) 50 ALJR 666 Makita (Australia) Pty Ltd v Sprowles (2001) 52 NSWLR 705; [2001] NSWCA 305 March v Stramare (E & MH) Pty Ltd (1991) 171 CLR 50; [1991] HCA 12 Mason v Demasi [2009] NSWCA 227 McGraw-Hinds (Aust) Pty Ltd v Smith (1979) 144 CLR 633; [1979] HCA 19 Medlin v State Government Insurance Commission (1995) 182 CLR 1; [1995] HCA 5 Mt Isa Mines Ltd v Pusey (1970) 125 CLR 383; [1970] HCA 60 Naxakis v Western General Hospital (1999) 197 CLR 269; [1999] HCA 22 Neal v Ambulance Service of NSW [2008] NSWCA 346 Neville v Lam (No 3) [2014] NSWSC 607 Paric v John Holland (Constructions) Pty Ltd [1985] HCA 58 Paul v Cooke (2013) 85 NSWLR 167, [2013] NSWCA 311 Penrith City Council v Parks [2004] NSWCA 201 Perisher Blue Pty Ltd v Nair-Smith (2015) NSWLR 1, [2015] NSWCA 90 Pollard v RRR Corporation Pty Ltd [2009] NSWCA 110 Roads and Traffic Authority (NSW) v Dederer [2007] HCA 42; (2007) 234 CLR 330 Rogers v Whitaker (1992) 175 CLR 479; [1992] HCA 58 Rosenberg v Percival (2001) 205 CLR 434; [2001] HCA 18 Schultz v McCormack [2015] NSWCA 330 Sibley v Kais (1967) 118 CLR 424, [1967] HCA 43 South Western Sydney Local Health District v Gould [2018] NSWCA 69 Sparks v Hobson; Gray v Hobson [2018] NSWCA 29 SRA v Earthline Constructions Pty Ltd (in liquidation) [1999] HCA 3 State of NSW v Moss [2000] NSWCA 133, (2000) 54 NSWLR 536 Strinic v Singh [2009] NSWCA 15 Strong v Woolworths Ltd (2012) 246 CLR 182; [2012] HCA 5 Tabet v Gett (2010) 240 CLR 537; [2010] HCA 12 The Nominal Defendant v Buck Cooper [2017] NSWCA 280 Teubner v Humble (1963) 108 CLR 491; [1963] HCA 11 Twynam Agricultural Group Pty Ltd v Williams [2012] NSWCA 326 Uniting Church in Australia Property Trust (NSW) v Miller; Miller v Lithgow City Council [2015] NSWCA 320 Vairy v Wyong Shire Council (2005) 223 CLR 442; [2005] HCA 62 Varga v Galea [2011] NSWCA 76 Wallace v Kam (2013) 250 CLR 375; [2013] HCA 19 Walter v James [2015] NSWCA 232 Warren v Gittoes [2009] NSWCA 24 Waverley Council v Ferreira [2005] NSWCA 418 Wyong Shire Council v Shirt (1980) 146 CLR 40; [1980] HCA 12 Yarrabee Coal Company Pty Ltd & Anor v Lujans [2009] NSWCA 85 Texts Cited: Leeming M, The Statutory Foundations of Negligence (2019, The Federation Press) Penfield AJ, "The Filshie clip for female sterilization : a review of world experience", AMJ Obstet Gynecol 2000; 183(3): 485-489 Peterson HB et al, "The risk of pregnancy after tubal sterilisation : Findings from the US Collaborative Review of Sterilization" (April 1996), American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, pp 1161-1170 Varma R, Gupta JK "Failed Sterilization: Evidence-based review and medico-legal ramifications" (December 2004) British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, vol 111, pp 1322-1332 Varma, R & Anor, "Precluding negligence in female sterilization failure : analysis of 131 cases"; Human Reproduction; 22(a); 2437-2443 Hansard, Second Reading Speech, Parliamentary Debates, New South Wales Legislative Assembly, 13 November 2003 Hansard, Second Reading Speech, Parliamentary Debates, New South Wales Legislative Assembly, 4 December 2003 Category: Principal judgment Parties: Jodie Lee (a pseudonym) (Plaintiff) Nita Dhupar (Defendant) Representation: Counsel: Mr R O'Keefe (Plaintiff) Mr Cummings (Solicitor - 14 August 2020) (Plaintiff) Ms E Elbourne (16, 17, 18, 26 April 2019) (Defendant) Mr S Kalfas SC with Ms E Elbourne (from 3 June 2019) (Defendant)