Castle v Perisher Blue Pty Limited [2020] NSWSC 1652

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Castle v Perisher Blue Pty Limited [2020] NSWSC 1652 Hearing dates: 15–22 June 2020 Date of orders: 20 November 2020 Decision date: 20 November 2020 Jurisdiction: Common Law Before: Cavanagh J Decision: (1) Judgment for the defendant. (2) The plaintiff is to pay the defendant's costs. Catchwords: NEGLIGENCE — Skiing accident — Collision on slope between plaintiff and ski instructor who was employee of defendant — Vicarious liability — Whether ski instructor was negligent — Circumstances of the collision — Reasonable precautions — Whether contributory negligence NEGLIGENCE — Dangerous recreational activity — Whether skiing is a dangerous recreational activity — Whether skiing involves a significant risk of harm — Application of statistics on incidence and nature of accidents at resort — Whether harm suffered was a result of the materialisation of an obvious risk — Characterisation of the risk asserted to be an obvious risk — Relevance of personal characteristics of plaintiff and of ski instructor NEGLIGENCE — Risk warning — Content of the risk warning — Whether risk warning sufficiently identified the risk that eventuated CONSUMER LAW — Consumer guarantees — Supply of services — Guarantee as to due care and skill — Effect of statutory defences under the Civil Liability Act 2002 (NSW) — Identification of services supplied to plaintiff — Whether those services not rendered with due care and skill — Where ski instructor was not providing instruction to plaintiff at time of collision — Whether s 139A of the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (Cth) would otherwise apply to prevent voiding by s 64 of the Australian Consumer Law of the contract's exclusion of liability — Whether plaintiff suffered significant personal injury caused by reckless conduct of supplier — Meaning of "reckless conduct" Legislation Cited: Civil Liability Act 2002 (NSW), ss 5B, 5F, 5K, 5L, 5M, 5R Civil Liability Amendment (Personal Responsibility) Act 2002 (NSW), Sch 1 Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (Cth), ss 4, 139A, 139B; Sch 2 — Australian Consumer Law, ss 2, 60, 64, 275 Trade Practices Act 1974 (Cth), ss 4, 74 Trade Practices Amendment Act 1977 (Cth) Cases Cited: Action Paintball Games Pty Ltd (In liquidation) v Barker [2013] NSWCA 128 Adamson v New South Wales Rugby League Limited (1991) 31 FCR 242 Alameddine v Glenworth Valley Horse Riding Pty Ltd [2015] NSWCA 219; 324 ALR 355 Campbell v Hay [2014] NSWCA 129 Carter v Hastings River Greyhound Racing Club [2020] NSWCA 185 Coffs Harbour City Council v Polglase [2020] NSWCA 265 Collins v Clarence Valley Council (2015) 91 NSWLR 128; [2015] NSWCA 263 Council of the City of Greater Taree v Wells [2010] NSWCA 147; 174 LGERA 208 Day v Perisher Blue Pty Ltd (2005) 62 NSWLR 731; [2005] NSWCA 110 Fallas v Mourlas (2006) 65 NSWLR 418; [2006] NSWCA 32 Fraser v BN Furman (Productions) Ltd [1967] 3 All ER 57; [1967] 1 WLR 898 Goode v Angland (2017) 96 NSWLR 503; [2017] NSWCA 311 Harris v Trustees of the Roman Catholic Church for the Archdiocese of Sydney & Anor [2011] NSWDC 172 Menz v Wagga Wagga Show Society Inc [2020] NSWCA 65 Moore v Scenic Tours Pty Ltd [2020] HCA 17; 377 ALR 209 Motorcycling Events Group Australia Pty Ltd v Kelly (2013) 86 NSWLR 55; [2013] NSWCA 361 Obeid v Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (2014) 226 FCR 471; [2014] FCAFC 155 Perisher Blue Pty Limited v Harris [2013] NSWCA 38 Perisher Blue Pty Ltd v Nair-Smith (2015) 90 NSWLR 1; [2015] NSWCA 90 Perisher Blue Pty Ltd v Vidakovic [2006] NSWCA 234 Polglase by his tutor Jeffrey Polglase v Coffs Harbour City Council (No 2) [2019] NSWSC 1848 Rabay v Bristow [2005] NSWCA 199 Scenic Tours Pty Ltd v Moore [2018] NSWCA 238; 361 ALR 456 Sharp v Parramatta City Council [2015] NSWCA 260; 209 LGERA 220 Singh bhnf Ambu Kanwar v Lynch [2020] NSWCA 152 Tapp v Australian Bushmen's Campdraft & Rodeo Association Ltd [2020] NSWCA 263 Uniting Church in Australia Property Trust (NSW) v Miller; Miller v Lithgow City Council (2015) 91 NSWLR 752; [2015] NSWCA 320 Category: Principal judgment Parties: Deborah Janice Castle (Plaintiff) Perisher Blue Pty Limited (Defendant) Representation: Counsel: D Wheelahan QC with G Smith (Plaintiff) J Sexton SC with J Dodd (Defendant)