Top Hut Banoon Pastoral Co Pty Ltd t/as Trustee for the Wakefield Family Trust v Walker [2021] NSWCA 296

Court of Appeal Supreme Court New South Wales Medium Neutral Citation: Top Hut Banoon Pastoral Co Pty Ltd t/as Trustee for the Wakefield Family Trust v Walker [2021] NSWCA 296 Hearing dates: 24 November 2021 Date of orders: 8 December 2021 Decision date: 08 December 2021 Before: Gleeson JA at [1] Preston CJ of LEC at [86] Stevenson J at [87] Decision: (1) Appeal dismissed. (2) Appellant to pay the respondents' costs. Catchwords: TORTS – negligence – liability of employer – scope of employer's obligation to ensure safe system of work – where employee worked as shearers' cook – where employee dispatched to other place or premises of work – where employee injured when step to accommodation collapsed – where employer conducted visual inspection of premises – whether scope of employer's duty required employer to conduct physical inspection of the step – whether employer breached duty – whether causation established DAMAGES – past and future economic loss – where employee suffered from PTSD and diabetes – where employee's income in prior financial years modest – where unchallenged findings that job suited employee's PTSD and intended to work full-time – where primary judge allowed deduction of 30 per cent for vicissitudes – whether error in award of past economic loss – whether error in award of future economic loss – whether error by primary judge not to refer to appellant's medical reports material DAMAGES – past domestic assistance and future commercial care – where employee's son and friend provided gratuitous domestic assistance – whether threshold under s 15(3) Civil Liability Act met – where evidence that employee wanted to relieve son of duties of providing care – where future commercial care assessed at 8.5 hours a week – where primary judge allowed deduction of 15 per cent for vicissitudes – whether primary judge erred in award for past domestic assistance – whether primary judge should have allowed for greater reduction for vicissitudes Legislation Cited: Civil Liability Act 2002 (NSW), ss 3B, 13, 15 Workers Compensation Act 1987 (NSW), s 151E Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005 (NSW), r 42.1 Cases Cited: AEA Constructions Pty Ltd v Wharekawa; AEA Constructions Pty Ltd v Building Partners Pty Ltd [2019] NSWCA 176 Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Ltd v Haq [2016] NSWCA 93 Avopiling Pty Ltd v Bosevski; Avopiling Pty Ltd v The Workers Compensation Nominal Insurer (2018) 98 NSWLR 171; [2018] NSWCA 146 Barnes v State of New South Wales [2017] NSWCA 254 Brocx v Mounsey [2001] WASCA 196 Crimmins v Stevedoring Industry Finance Committee (1999) 200 CLR 1; [1999] HCA 59 Dib Group Pty Ltd Trading as Hill & Co v Cole (2009) Aus Torts Reports 82-022; [2009] NSWCA 210 Graham v Baker (1961) 106 CLR 340; [1961] HCA 48 HSH Hotels v Multiplex [2004] NSWCA 302 Kember v Thackrah [2000] WASCA 198 Koeck v Persic (1996) Aus Torts Reports 81-386, 63,360 Metaxoulis v McDonald's Australia Limited [2015] NSWCA 95 Mifsud v Campbell (1991) 21 NSWLR 725 Minister for Immigration and Border Protection v SZVFW (2018) 264 CLR 541; [2018] HCA 30 Nestle Australia Ltd v McDougall [1998] NSWCA 158 Prouten v Chapman [2021] NSWCA 207 Sampco Pty Ltd v Wurth [2015] NSWCA 117 South Sydney Junior Rugby League Club Ltd v Gazis [2016] NSWCA 8 Sretenovic v Reed [2009] NSWCA 280 Taupau v HVAC Constructions (Queensland) Pty Ltd [2012] NSWCA 293 Category: Principal judgment Parties: Top Hut Banoon Pastoral Co Pty Ltd t/as Trustee for the Wakefield Family Trust (Appellant) Julie Walker (First respondent) Shear Away Pty Ltd (Second respondent) Representation: Counsel: M J McCulloch SC (Appellant) B D Dooley SC / J C Lee (First respondent) P A Rickard (Second respondent)