Finniss v State of New South Wales [2023] NSWCA 292

Court of Appeal Supreme Court New South Wales Medium Neutral Citation: Finniss v State of New South Wales [2023] NSWCA 292 Hearing dates: 9 November 2023 Date of orders: 8 December 2023 Decision date: 08 December 2023 Before: Payne JA at [1]; Stern JA at [98]; Basten AJA at [99] Decision: (1) Appeal dismissed; (2) Appellant to pay the respondent's costs. Catchwords: TORTS – negligence – occupier's liability – school cleaner injured by striking head on a storeroom doorframe – storeroom contained cleaning products and other items – whether occupier was negligent – whether relocating entire contents of storeroom was a reasonable precaution – whether burden of taking precaution was overly onerous – where burden included burden of taking similar precautions – cleaner's contributory negligence – where risk of harm was patently obvious to person in cleaner's position – apportionment of liability between occupier and cleaner's employer – assessment of damages for non-economic loss COSTS – party/party costs – costs of appeal – where appellant succeeded on several grounds – where respondent wholly successful on notice of contention – where respondent did not lead primary judge into error Legislation Cited: Civil Liability Act 2002 (NSW) ss 5B, 5C, 5D, 5F, 5G, 5H and 16 Workers Compensation Act 1987 (NSW) ss 151H and 151Z Cases Cited: ALDI Foods Pty Ltd v Young [2016] NSWCA 109; (2016) Aust Torts Reports 82-272 Basha v Vocational Capacity Centre Pty Ltd [2009] NSWCA 409 Berkeley Challenge Pty Ltd v Howarth [2013] NSWCA 370 Boensch v Pascoe (2019) 268 CLR 593; [2019] HCA 49 Chen by her tutor Huang v Kmart Australia Ltd [2023] NSWCA 96 Collins v Insurance Australia Ltd (2022) 109 NSWLR 240; [2022] NSWCA 135 Crystal Wall Pty Ltd v Pham [2005] NSWCA 449 Dell v Dalton (1991) 23 NSWLR 528 Francis v Lewis [2003] NSWCA 152 Garzo v Liverpool/Campbelltown Christian School [2012] NSWCA 151 Hall v State of New South Wales [2014] NSWCA 154 House v The King (1936) 55 CLR 499; [1936] HCA 40 Jones v Bartlett (2000) 205 CLR 166; [2000] HCA 56 Joslyn v Berryman (2003) 214 CLR 552; [2003] HCA 34 Kuru v State of New South Wales (2008) 236 CLR 1; [2008] HCA 26 Norbis v Norbis (1986) 161 CLR 513; [1986] HCA 17 Podrebersek v Australian Iron & Steel Pty Ltd [1985] HCA 34; (1985) 59 ALJR 492 Rail Corporation New South Wales v Donald; Staff Innovations Pty Ltd t/as Bamford Family Trust [2018] NSWCA 82 Singer v Berghouse (1994) 181 CLR 201; [1994] HCA 40 Taber v NSW Land and Housing Corporation [2001] NSWCA 182 Uniting Church in Australia Property Trust (NSW) v Miller (2015) 91 NSWLR 752; [2015] NSWCA 320 Warren v Coombes (1979) 142 CLR 531; [1979] HCA 9 White v Redding (2019) 99 NSWLR 605; [2019] NSWCA 152 Wynn Tresidder Management v Barkho [2009] NSWCA 149; (2009) Aust Torts Reports 82-016 Zanner v Zanner (2010) 79 NSWLR 702; [2010] NSWCA 343 Category: Principal judgment Parties: Craig Charles Finniss (appellant) State of New South Wales (respondent) Representation: Counsel: PA Beale; E Chrysostomou (appellant) DA Lloyd SC; D O'Dowd (respondent)