Marsh v Insurance Group Limited t/as NRMA Insurance Limited [2021] NSWSC 619

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Marsh v Insurance Group Limited t/as NRMA Insurance Limited [2021] NSWSC 619 Hearing dates: 3 March 2021 Date of orders: 4 June 2021 Decision date: 04 June 2021 Jurisdiction: Common Law Before: Simpson AJ Decision: Orders and declarations: (i) declare that the decision of the second defendant to decline to refer the medical assessment of the medical assessor of 5 February 2020 to a review panel is quashed; (ii) in lieu thereof the medical assessment of 5 February 2020 be referred, pursuant to s 63(3) of the Motor Accidents Compensation Act 1999 (NSW) to a review panel of at least three medical assessors; (iii) the first defendant to pay the plaintiff's costs of the proceedings. Catchwords: ADMINISTRATIVE LAW – judicial review – jurisdictional error – error of law on the face of the record – Motor Accidents Compensation Act 1999 (NSW), s 69(3) – power requiring decision maker to consider whether there was reasonable cause to suspect material error in medical assessment - whether decision maker exceeded statutory role by determining asserted error on the merits Legislation Cited: Motor Accidents Compensation Act 1999 (NSW), ss 44, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 131 Personal Injury Commission Act 2020 (NSW) Supreme Court Act 1970 (NSW), ss 69, 75 Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005 (NSW), r 59.6 Workers Compensation Act 1987 (NSW) Workplace Injury Management and Workers Compensation Act 1998 (NSW) Cases Cited: AAI Ltd (t/as AAMI) v Chan [2021] NSWCA 19 Allianz Australia Insurance Ltd v Rutland [2015] NSWCA 328 Ballas v Department of Education (State of NSW) (2020) 102 NSWLR 783; [2020] NSWCA 86 Boyce v Allianz Australia Insurance Ltd (2018) 96 NSWLR 356; [2018] NSWCA 22 Buck v Bavone (1976) 135 CLR 110; [1976] HCA 24 Campbelltown City Council v Vegan (2006) 67 NSWLR 372; [2006] NSWCA 284 Cole v Wenaline Pty Ltd [2010] NSWSC 78 Dominice v Allianz Australia Insurance Ltd [2017] NSWCA 171 Frost v Kourouche (2014) 86 NSWLR 214; [2014] NSWCA 39 Insurance Australia Limited (t/as NRMA Insurance) v Warren [2019] NSWSC 1126 Jubb v Insurance Australia Ltd [2016] NSWCA 153 Meeuwissen v Boden (2010) 78 NSWLR 143; [2010] NSWCA 253 Minister for Immigration and Citizenship v Li (2013) 249 CLR 332; [2013] HCA 18 Phillips v JW Williamson and RW Williamson trading as Williamson Bros [2016] NSWSC 1681 QBE Insurance (Australia) Ltd v Miller [2013] NSWCA 442 Ryder v Sundance Bakehouse [2015] NSWSC 526 Category: Principal judgment Parties: Robert William Marsh (Plaintiff) Insurance Australia Group Limited t/as NRMA Insurance Limited (First Defendant) The Proper Officer appointed under s 63 of the Motor Accident Compensation Act 1999 (NSW) (Second Defendant) Representation: Counsel: C A W Hart (Plaintiff) K P Rewell SC (First Defendant) Submitting appearance (Second Defendant)