Haselhurst v Toyota Motor Corporation Australia Ltd t/as Toyota Australia; Whisson v Subaru (Aust) Pty Ltd; Kularathne v Honda Australia Pty Ltd; Brewster v BMW Australia Ltd; Bond v Nissan Motor Co (Australia) Pty Ltd; Coates v Mazda Australia Pty Ltd [2022] NSWSC 1076

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Haselhurst v Toyota Motor Corporation Australia Ltd t/as Toyota Australia; Whisson v Subaru (Aust) Pty Ltd; Kularathne v Honda Australia Pty Ltd; Brewster v BMW Australia Ltd; Bond v Nissan Motor Co (Australia) Pty Ltd; Coates v Mazda Australia Pty Ltd [2022] NSWSC 1076 Hearing dates: 29 June 2022 Date of orders: 29 June 2022 Decision date: 29 June 2022 Jurisdiction: Equity - Commercial List Before: Rees J Decision: Settlement approved on agreed terms. Catchwords: REPRESENTATIVE PROCEEDINGS – Takata air bags class action – approval of settlement – s 173, Civil Procedure Act 2005 (NSW) – $52M settlement for 33,000 group members – plaintiffs seek $16M for legal costs – funder seeks $13M for funder's commission – each group member to receive $1,560 but $600 after deductions. REPRESENTATIVE PROCEEDINGS – objections – small number of group members object to "outrageous", "incredible" and "staggering" costs – other group members happy with Takata air bag recall and manufacturers' response. REPRESENTATIVE PROCEEDINGS – settlement sum reasonable given poor prospects of success – legal costs confronting – judge initially taken aback – evidence of complexity of proceedings and costs assessors support sums sought. REPRESENTATIVE PROCEEDINGS – funder's commission – common fund order – Brewster v BMW does not preclude common fund order on settlement – common fund order made – settlement approved. Legislation Cited: Civil Procedure Act 2005 (NSW) ss 173, 179, 183 Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (Cth), Sch 2 – Australian Consumer Law, ss 54, 271 Federal Court Act 1976 (Cth), s 33V Trade Practices Act 1974 (Cth), s 74D Cases Cited: Asirifi-Otchere v Swann Insurance (Aust) Pty Limited (No 3) (2020) 385 ALR 625; [2020] FCA 1885 Australian Competition and Consumer Commission v Chats House Investments Pty Ltd (1996) 71 FCR 250 Australian Securities and Investments Commission v Richards [2013] FCAFC 89 Blairgowrie Trading Ltd v Allco Finance Group Ltd (Recs & Mgrs Apptd) (in liq) (No 3) (2017) 343 ALR 476; [2017] FCA 330 BMW Australia v Brewster (2019) 269 CLR 574; [2019] HCA 45 Brewster v BMW Australia Ltd [2020] NSWCA 272 Caason Investments Pty Ltd v Cao (No 2) [2018] FCA 527 Davaria Pty Limited v 7-Eleven Stores Pty Limited (2020) 384 ALR 650 Dwyer v Volkswagen Group Australia Pty Ltd t/as Volkswagen Australia [2021] NSWSC 715 Earglow Pty Ltd v Newcrest Mining Limited [2016] FCA 1433 Evans v Health Administration Corporation [2019] NSWSC 1781 Farey v National Australia Bank Limited [2016] FCA 340 Findlay v DSHE Holdings Ltd; Mastoris v DSHE Holdings Ltd; Mastoris v Allianz Australia Insurance Ltd [2021] NSWSC 249 Hall v Arnold Bloch Leibler (a firm) (No 2) [2022] FCA 163 Hodges v Waters (No 7) (2015) 232 FCR 97; [2015] FCA 264 In re the Takata Airbags Class Actions Settlement (Preliminary Orders) [2021] NSWSC 1153 Kuterba v Sirtex Medical Ltd (No 3) [2019] FCA 1374 Liverpool City Council v McGraw-Hill Financial Inc [2018] FCA 1289 Lopez v Star World Enterprises Pty Ltd [1999] FCA 104 Money Max Int Pty Ltd (Trustee) v QBE Insurance Group Ltd (2016) 245 FCR 191; [2016] FCAFC 148 Smith v Australian Executor Trustees Ltd; Creighton v Australian Executor Trustees Ltd (No 4) [2018] NSWSC 1584 Williams v FAI Home Security Pty Ltd (No 4) [2000] FCA 1925 Category: Principal judgment Parties: In proceedings 2017/340824: Louise Haselhurst (Plaintiff) Toyota Motor Corporation Australia Ltd trading as Toyota Australia (Defendant) Regency Funding Pty Ltd (Intervener)