State of New South Wales v Skinner [2022] NSWCA 9

Court of Appeal Supreme Court New South Wales Medium Neutral Citation: State of New South Wales v Skinner [2022] NSWCA 9 Hearing dates: 14, 15 October 2021 Date of orders: 8 February 2022 Decision date: 08 February 2022 Before: Basten JA at [1]; Brereton JA at [162]; McCallum JA at [163] Decision: (1) Dismiss the appeal by the State of New South Wales filed on 4 June 2021. (2) With respect to the cross-appeal filed by Kristen Skinner on 9 July 2021: (a) set aside the judgment entered in the District Court on 9 April 2021; (b) in lieu thereof, give judgment for Kristen Skinner against the State of New South Wales in the amount of $857,948; (c) direct that the judgment take effect from 9 April 2021; (d) otherwise dismiss the cross-appeal. Catchwords: NEGLIGENCE – vicarious liability of State – persons in service of Crown – police officers NEGLIGENCE – breach – standard of care – mental illness – major depressive disorder – post-traumatic stress disorder – traumatic events – employer's systems of work – whether plaintiff should have been referred for psychiatric assessment NEGLIGENCE – breach – foreseeability of risk – objective test – whether psychiatric harm to plaintiff reasonably foreseeable NEGLIGENCE – causation – factual causation – whether plaintiff would have disclosed mental condition if referred for assessment NEGLIGENCE – causation – concurrent cause – non-tortious psychiatric and physical injury – whether properly taken into account in assessing damages NEGLIGENCE – defences – contributory negligence – whether plaintiff should have reported symptoms WORKERS COMPENSATION – common law remedies – interest on damages – Workers Compensation Act 1987 (NSW) s 151M – whether mediation offer unreasonable Legislation Cited: Civil Liability Act 2002 (NSW), s 3B Workers Compensation Act 1987 (NSW), ss 151G, 151M Workers Compensation Regulation 2016 (NSW), cll 94, 96 Cases Cited: Bonnington Castings Ltd v Wardlaw [1956] AC 613 (HL) Carangelo v State of New South Wales [2016] NSWCA 126 Coote v Kelly [2013] NSWCA 357 DC v State of New South Wales [2016] NSWCA 198 Malec v JC Hutton Pty Ltd (1990) 169 CLR 638; [1990] HCA 20 Sills v State of New South Wales [2019] NSWCA 4 State of New South Wales v Briggs (2016) 95 NSWLR 467; [2016] NSWCA 344 State of New South Wales v Fahy (2007) 232 CLR 486; [2007] HCA 20 Strategic Formwork Pty Ltd v Hitchen [2018] NSWCA 54 Tabet v Gett (2010) 240 CLR 537; [2010] HCA 12 Van Opstal v Australian Iron & Steel Pty Ltd (No 2) [2000] NSWSC 1125 Texts Cited: H Luntz and S Harder, Assessment of Damages for Personal Injury and Death (5th ed, Lexis Nexis, 2021) Category: Principal judgment Parties: State of New South Wales (Appellant/Cross-Respondent) Kristen Skinner (Respondent/Cross-Appellant) Representation: Counsel: Mr M McCulloch SC / Mr D Stanton (Appellant/Cross-Respondent) Mr D Jackson QC / Ms W Liu (Respondent/Cross-Appellant)