Prouten v Chapman [2021] NSWCA 207

Court of Appeal Supreme Court New South Wales Medium Neutral Citation: Prouten v Chapman [2021] NSWCA 207 Hearing dates: 2 February 2021 Date of orders: 13 September 2021 Decision date: 13 September 2021 Before: Meagher and Leeming JJA at [1]; Brereton JA at [29]. Decision: Appeal dismissed with costs. Catchwords: NEGLIGENCE – Duty of care – Particular relationships – Users of public right of passage – Duty owed to postal delivery officer by owners of caravan parked on nature strip – Formulation of risk – Where postal delivery officer claimed to have collided with concealed extender bed protruding from caravan – Presence of caravan insufficient – Risk arising specifically from concealed extender bed – Formulation must account for driver taking reasonable care for own safety NEGLIGENCE – Breach – Whether risk foreseeable – Whether risk not insignificant – Whether reasonable person would have taken precautions – Probability of harm – Seriousness of harm – Burden of taking precautions – Where limited or no social utility of activity creating risk – Where a reasonable response was to do nothing – Breach not established – Appeal dismissed APPEALS – Procedural fairness – Failure to give reasons – Adequacy of reasons – Requisite standard of reasons for accepting and rejecting evidence and for making credit findings APPEALS – From findings of fact and credit findings – Function of appellate court – Restraints on appellate interference – Obligation to undertake a real review of the evidence and reasons – Where overarching adverse credibility finding made – Where appellant's account of incident rejected – Whether credit finding informed by assessment of demeanour or only by inconsistencies in evidence – Where demeanour neither expressly relied upon nor disclaimed – Court able to interfere with factual findings but fresh findings would require retrial Legislation Cited: Civil Liability Act 2002 (NSW), ss 5B, 5C Evidence Act 1995 (NSW), ss 166(f), 167 Motor Accidents Compensation Act 1999 (NSW), s 3 Road Rules 2014 (NSW), r 197 Road Transport Act 2013 (NSW) Supreme Court Act 1970 (NSW), s 75A Cases Cited: Australian Safeway Stores Pty Ltd v Zaluzna (1987) 162 CLR 479; [1987] HCA 7 Beale v Government Insurance Office of NSW (1997) 48 NSWLR 430 Buckle v Bayswater Road Board (1936) 57 CLR 259; [1936] HCA 65 Bunnings Group Ltd v Giudice [2018] NSWCA 144 Container Terminals Australia Ltd v Huseyin [2008] NSWCA 320 Davies v Mann (1842) 10 M&W 546; 152 ER 588 Douglass v The Queen (2012) 86 ALJR 1086; [2012] HCA 34 Dovuro v Wilkins (2003) 215 CLR 317; [2003] HCA 51 DW v The Queen (2004) 150 A Crim R 139; [2004] ACTCA 22 Fox v Percy (2003) 214 CLR 118; [2003] HCA 22 Galea v Galea (1990) 19 NSWLR 263 Gautam v Health Care Complaints Commission [2021] NSWCA 85 Goodrich Aerospace Pty Ltd v Arsic (2006) 66 NSWLR 186; [2006] NSWCA 187 Greenhalgh v British Railways Board [1969] 2 QB 286; [1969] 2 All ER 114 Housing Commission of New South Wales v Tatmar Pastoral Co Pty Ltd [1983] 3 NSWLR 378 King v Collins [2007] NSWCA 122 Kollas v Scurrah (2008) 49 MVR 437; [2008] NSWCA 17 Lee v Lee (2019) 266 CLR 129; [2019] HCA 28 Maaz v Fullerton Property Pty Ltd [2021] NSWCA 79 March v E & M H Stramare Pty Ltd (1991) 171 CLR 506; [1991] HCA 12 Manley v Alexander (2005) 80 ALJR 413; [2005] HCA 79 Mason v Demasi [2009] NSWCA 227 Masterton Homes Pty Ltd v LED Builders Pty Ltd (1996) 33 IPR 417 McGeown v Northern Ireland Housing Executive [1995] 1 AC 233; [1994] 3 All ER 53 Mifsud v Campbell (1991) 21 NSWLR 725 Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs v Yusuf (2001) 206 CLR 323; [2001] HCA 30 Motorcycling Events Group Australia Pty Ltd v Kelly (2013) 86 NSWLR 55; [2013] NSWCA 361 Onassis v Vergottis [1968] 2 Lloyd's Rep 403 Queensland v Masson (2020) 94 ALJR 785; [2020] HCA 28 R v Barrowman (2007) 96 SASR 294; [2007] SASC 28 R v Keyte (2000) 78 SASR 68; [2000] SASC 382 R v Power (2003) 141 A Crim R 203; [2003] SASC 77 Ryan v Workers Compensation Nominal Insurer (2020) 91 MVR 282; [2020] NSWCA 38 Shaw v Thomas (2010) Aust Tort Reports ¶82-065; [2010] NSWCA 169 Sibraa v Brown [2012] NSWCA 328 Snitzer v Becker Milk Co Ltd (1976) 75 DLR (3d) 649 Soulemezis v Dudley (Holdings) Pty Ltd (1987) 10 NSWLR 247 Turnbull v Alm [2004] NSWCA 173 Verryt v Schoupp (2015) 70 MVR 484; [2015] NSWCA 128 Yates Property Co Pty Ltd (in liq) v Darling Harbour Authority (1991) 24 NSWLR 156 Category: Principal judgment Parties: Michelle Leanne Prouten (Appellant) Darren Chapman (First Respondent) Megan Rebecca Chapman (Second Respondent) Representation: Counsel: