Manly Fast Ferry Pty Ltd v Wehbe [2021] NSWCA 67

Court of Appeal Supreme Court New South Wales Medium Neutral Citation: Manly Fast Ferry Pty Ltd v Wehbe [2021] NSWCA 67 Hearing dates: 28 October 2020 Date of orders: 23 April 2021 Decision date: 23 April 2021 Before: Gleeson JA at [1] Leeming JA at [114] Simpson AJA at [161] Decision: (1) Appeal dismissed. (2) Appellant to pay the respondent's costs of the appeal. Catchwords: COURTS AND JUDGES – procedural fairness – judicial intervention – where expert witness conclave conducted via audio visual and audio link – whether excessive judicial questioning of experts – whether real danger that trial was unfair – whether the trial miscarried DAMAGES – assessment of damages in tort – personal injury – where respondent suffered injury to left knee when ferry collided with wharf – whether respondent suffered compensatory injury to right knee by favouring left – whether primary judge erred in awarding damages for injury to respondent's right knee EVIDENCE – expert evidence – where competing medical evidence – whether primary judge substituted own medical opinion for that of the expert DAMAGES – assessment of damages in tort – personal injury – where respondent could no longer perform certain house maintenance tasks – where those tasks carried out by respondent's brothers – whether primary judge erred in awarding respondent damages for commercial domestic assistance Legislation Cited: Motor Accidents Compensation Act 1999 (NSW), s 141B Suitors Fund Act 1951 (NSW) Transport Administration Act 1998 (NSW), s 121 Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005 (NSW), rr 42.1, 51.53(1) Cases Cited: Adacot & Sowle [2020] FamCAFC 215 Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Ltd v Haq [2016] NSWCA 93 Concrete Pty Limited v Parramatta Design & Developments Pty Ltd (2006) 229 CLR 577; [2006] HCA 55 Ebner v Official Trustee in Bankruptcy (2000) 205 CLR 337; [2000] HCA 63 Galea v Galea (1990) 19 NSWLR 263 Gordon v Truong [2014] NSWCA 97 Jamal v Director of Public Prosecutions (NSW) [2019] NSWCA 121 Johnson v Johnson (2000) 201 CLR 488; [2000] HCA 48 Jones v National Coal Board [1957] 2 QB 55 Jorgensen v Fair Work Ombudsman (2019) 271 FCR 461; [2019] FCAFC 113 Malec v JC Hutton Pty Ltd (1990) 169 CLR 638; [1990] HCA 20 Metaxoulis v McDonald's Australia Ltd [2015] NSWCA 95 Michel v The Queen [2009] UKPC 41; [2010] 1 WLR 879 Miller v Galderisi [2009] NSWCA 353 Nine Network Australia Pty Ltd v Tabbaa [2018] NSWCA 243 Polsen v Harrison [2021] NSWCA 23 Royal Guardian Mortgage Management Pty Ltd v Nguyen [2016] NSWCA 88; (2016) 332 ALR 128 R v Hamilton [1969] Crim LR 486 R v Hulusi (1973) 58 Cr App R 378 R v Nelson [1997] Crim LR 234 R v T, WA (2014) 118 SASR 382; [2014] SASCFC 3 Sampco Pty Ltd v Wurth [2015] NSWCA 117 Serafin v Malkiewicz [2020] UKSC 23; [2020] 4 All ER 711 Southwark London BC v Kofi-Adu [2006] EWCA Civ 281 Strinic v Singh (2009) 74 NSWLR 419; [2009] NSWCA 15 White v Benjamin [2015] NSWCA 75 Windsor v Health Care Complaints Commission [2020] NSWCA 110 Yuill v Yuill [1945] P 15; [1945] 1 All ER 183 Category: Principal judgment Parties: Manly Fast Ferry Pty Ltd (ACN 135 008 070) (Appellant) George Paul Wehbe (Respondent) Representation: Counsel: G J Parker SC (Appellant) L King SC / W Carney (Respondent)