Sivonen v Smith [2023] NSWSC 984

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Sivonen v Smith [2023] NSWSC 984 Hearing dates: 27 February 2023 to 3 March 2023 Date of orders: 29 September 2023 Decision date: 29 September 2023 Jurisdiction: Common Law Before: Harrison AsJ Decision: 1. The first and second defendants are to pay the plaintiff damages in the sum of $2,769,215.20, arising from an accident that occurred on 2 March 2019. 2. The first and second defendants are to pay the plaintiff's costs up to 23 December 2021 and indemnity costs from 24 December 2021. Catchwords: NEGLIGENCE – Duty of Care – Breach – Causation – Damages – Non-Economic Loss - Economic Loss – Earning Capacity – Measure of Damages – Personal injury damages – Gratuitous attendant care services – Injury by being struck by attachment in claw of excavator operated by Defendant – Plaintiff in exclusion zone – Defendant owed a duty of a care to plaintiff – Defendant failed to take precautions – Defendants negligent – No obvious risk – No contributory negligence Legislation Cited: Civil Liability Act 2002 (NSW) ss 5B, 5C, 5D, 5F, 5G, 5H, 5I, 12, 13, 15, 16. Cases Cited: Adeels Palace Pty Ltd v Moubarak [2009] HCA 48; 239 CLR 420; 84 ALJR 19; 260 ALR 628; (2009) Aust Torts Reports 82–042 Benic v State of New South Wales [2010] NSWSC 1039 Blakemore v Moore & Clements [2015] NSWDC 9 Bridge v Coles Supermarkets Australia Pty Ltd (No 3) [2017] NSWSC 1800 Bruce v Apex Software Pty Ltd t/as Lark Ellen Aged Care [2018] NSWCA 330 Council of the City of Sydney v Hunter [2014] NSWCA 449 CSR Ltd v Eddy [2005] HCA 64; 226 CLR 1; 80 ALJR 59; 222 ALR 1 Doubleday & Anor v Kelly [2005] NSWCA 151 Dell v Dalton (1991) 23 NSWLR 528 Evans v Bartlam [1940] HCA 27; 64 CLR 1; [1937] AC 473; [1937] 2 All ER 646; 53 TLR 689 Government Insurance Office of NSW v Rosniak (1992) 27 NSWLR 665 Hackshaw v Shaw [1984] HCA 84; 155 CLR 614; 56 ALR 417 Hirst v Sydney South West Area Health Service [2011] NSWSC 664 Joslyn v Berryman [2003] HCA 34; 214 CLR 552; 77 ALJR 1233; 198 ALR 137; 38 MVR 41 Makaroff v Nepean Blue Mountains Local Health District [2019] NSWSC 715 Makita (Australia) Pty Ltd v Sprowles [2001] NSWCA 305; 52 NSWLR 705 Malec v JC Hutton Pty Ltd [1990] HCA 20; 169 CLR 638; 64 ALJR 316; 13 ALR 447 Matthews v Dean (1990) 11 MVR 455; (1990) Aust Tort Reports 81–037 Origin Energy LPG Pty Ltd v Bestcare Foods Ltd [2012] NSWCA 407 Pamment v Pawelski [1949] HCA 43; 79 CLR 406; [1949] ALR 860 Patrick Stevedores Operations (No 2) Pty Ltd v Hennessy; FBIS International Protective Services (Aust) Pty Ltd v Hennessy [2015] NSWCA 253 Pennington v Norris [1956] HCA 26; 96 CLR 10 Perisher Blue Pty Ltd v Nair-Smith (2015) 90 NSWLR 1; [2015] NSWCA 90 Podbrebersek v Australian Iron & Steel Pty Ltd [1985] HCA 34; 59 ALJR 492; 59 ALR 529; (1985) Aust Torts Reports 80–321 Roads and Traffic Authority of NSW v Dederer [2007] HCA 42; 234 CLR 330; 81 ALJR 1773; 238 ALR 761; 155 LGERA 153 Sharman v Evans [1977] HCA 8; 138 CLR 563; 13 ALR 57 Shaw v Thomas [2010] NSWCA 169 Southgate v Waterford (1990) 21 NSWLR 427; (1990) Aust Torts Reports 81–065 State of New South Wales v Doherty [2011] NSWCA 225 Strong v Woolworths Ltd [2012] HCA 5; 246 CLR 182; 86 ALJR 267; 285 ALR 420 Sutherland Shire Council v Major [2015] NSWCA 243 T and X Company Pty Ltd v Chivas [2014] NSWCA 235 Turner v SEC (WA) [1965] WAR 50 Vairy v Wyong Shire Council [2005] HCA 62; 223 CLR 422; 80 ALJR 1; 221 ALR 711; 142 LGERA 387 Vincent v Woolworths Ltd; Vincent v Counterpoint Marketing & Sales Pty Ltd [2015] NSWSC 435 Vincent v Woolworths Ltd [2016] NSWCA 40 Wallace v Kam [2013] HCA 19; 250 CLR 375; 87 ALJR 648; 297 ALR 383 Warth v Lafsky [2014] NSWCA 94 Wyong Shire Council v Shirt [1980] HCA 12; 146 CLR 40; 54 ALJR 283; 27 ALR 217; 60 LGRA 106 Zhang v Golden Eagle International Trading Pty Limited & Ors [2006] NSWCA 25 Texts Cited: Harold Luntz and Sirko Harder, Luntz Assessment of Damages for Personal Injury and Death (2021, 5th ed, LexisNexis) Category: Principal judgment Parties: K Sivonen (Plaintiff) P Smith (First Defendant) RJ & PS Smith Pty Ltd (Second Defendant) Representation: Counsel: D Hooke SC and S Tzouganatos (Plaintiff) D Higgs SC (First and Second Defendants) File Number(s): 2020/00326001