Insurance Australia Limited t/as NRMA Insurance v Duc Thuong Le [2024] NSWSC 1022

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Insurance Australia Limited t/as NRMA Insurance v Duc Thuong Le [2024] NSWSC 1022 Hearing dates: 2 August 2024 Date of orders: 19 August 2024 Decision date: 19 August 2024 Jurisdiction: Common Law Before: Price AJA Decision: (1) Order that the summons filed 24 November 2023 be dismissed. (2) Order that the plaintiff pay the first defendant's costs in this Court. Catchwords: ADMINISTRATIVE LAW – judicial review – decision of medical assessor referred to review panel – whether review panel failed to apply the lawful test of causation – whether review panel reversed onus of proof – whether review panel failed to expose its actual path of reasoning – whether review panel made a finding when there was no supporting evidence – whether the review panel failed to consider a substantial and clearly articulated argument – whether there was jurisdictional error or error on the face of the record Legislation Cited: Civil Liability Act 2002 (NSW), ss 5D, 5E Motor Accident Injuries Act 2017 (NSW), ss 1.6, 7.23, 7.26, sch 2 cl 2 Cases Cited: Allianz Australia Insurance Limited v Mackenzie & Ors [2014] NSWSC 67 Australian Broadcasting Tribunal v Bond (1990) 170 CLR 321; [1990] HCA 33 Briggs v IAG Limited trading as NRMA Insurance [2022] NSWSC 372 Dranichnikov v Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs (2003) 214 CLR 496; [2003] HCA 26 Insurance Australia Group Ltd t/as NRMA Insurance v Keen [2021] NSWCA 287 Insurance Australia Limited trading as NRMA Insurance v Trkulija [2023] NSWSC 956 Insurance Australia Ltd t/as NRMA Insurance v Milton [2016] NSWCA 156 Insurance Limited t/as NRMA v Richards [2023] NSWSC 909 McKee v Allianz Australia Insurance Ltd (2008) 71 NSWLR 609; [2008] NSWCA 163 Naxakis v Western General Hospital (1999) 197 CLR 269; [1999] HCA 22 Origin Energy LPG Ltd v Bestcare Foods Ltd [2013] NSWCA 90 Re Minister for Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs; Ex parte Lam (2003) 214 CLR 1; [2003] HCA 6 Rodger v De Gelder and Others [2015] NSWCA 211 Swain v Waverly Municipal Council (2005) 220 CLR 577; [2005] HCA 4 Wingfoot Australia Partners Pty Ltd v Kocak (2013) 252 CLR 480; [2013] HCA 43 Texts Cited: State Insurance Regulatory Authority – Motor Accident Guidelines, cll 6.5-6.7 Category: Principal judgment Parties: Insurance Australia Limited t/as NRMA Insurance (plaintiff) Duc Thuong Le (first defendant) Margaret Gibson, Tai-Tak Wan and Susan McTegg as a Personal Injury Review Panel Constituted Under s 7.26 of the Motor Accident Injuries Act 2017 (NSW) (second defendant) President of the Personal Injury Commission Of New South Wales (third defendant) Representation: Counsel: J Gumbert / M Summerhayes (plaintiff) E G Romaniuk SC / B Necovski (first defendant) Submitting Appearance (second and third defendants)