Shatib v AY Formwork Pty Ltd [2024] NSWDC 132

District Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Shatib v AY Formwork Pty Ltd [2024] NSWDC 132 Hearing dates: 19 April 2024 Date of orders: 23 April 2024 Decision date: 23 April 2024 Jurisdiction: Civil Before: Abadee DCJ Decision: See paragraph [58] Catchwords: PRIVATE INTERNATIONAL LAW – entitlement of a worker to damages for work-related injury – injury suffered in Victoria – choice of law ESTOPPEL – workers compensation benefits paid by employer's insurer to worker under NSW law – whether reasonably arguable that conventional estoppel lies to prevent employer relying upon Victorian law to govern rights of worker to commence and have determined right to damages WORKERS COMPENSATION – employer omitted to raise defence that Victorian law is the substantive law governing rights to bring action for damages in its pre-filing defence – whether employer should have leave to rely upon defence CIVIL PROCEDURE – whether worker's action for damages should be summarily dismissed or struck out Legislation Cited: Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005 (NSW) r 14.14, 17.4(2) Workers Compensation Act 1987 (NSW) ss 9AA, s 150A-F, 151 Workplace Injury Management & Workers Compensation Act 1998 (NSW) ss 78, 281, 292, 315-16, 318(1)-(2) Workplace Injury Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2013 (Vic) ss 5(1AA), 327, 328(1), 335(1)-(2) Cases Cited: Agar v Hyde (2000) 201 CLR 552 Burkinshaw v Nicholls (1878) 3 App Cas 1004 Grundt v Great Boulder Proprietary Gold Mines Ltd (1937) 59 CLR 641 John Pfeiffer Pty Ltd v Rogerson (2000) 203 CLR 503 Klemke v Grenfell Commodities Pty Ltd [2011] NSWWCCPD 27 Martin v R J Hibbens Pty Ltd [2010] NSWWCCPD 83 Merrick v Nationwide Transport Solutions and Workers Compensation Nominal Insurer [2010] NSWWCCPD 106 Tam v Worksafe Victoria [2023] NSWSC 173 The Commonwealth v Verwayen (1990) 170 CLR 394 Wardley Australia Ltd v Western Australia (1992) 175 CLR 514 Wickham Freight Lines Pty Ltd v Ferguson [2013] NSWCA 66 Workers Compensation Nominal Insurer v O'Donohue [2014] NSWWCCPD 1 Texts Cited: P Keane AC KC, Estoppel by Conduct and Election (Sweet & Maxwell, 3rd ed, 2023) Category: Procedural rulings Parties: Mr Husain Shatib (Plaintiff) AY Formwork Pty Ltd (Defendant) Representation: Counsel: Mr G Young (Plaintiff) Mr D Stiles (Defendant)