Lederer Group Pty Ltd v Hodson [2024] NSWCA 303

Court of Appeal Supreme Court New South Wales Medium Neutral Citation: Lederer Group Pty Ltd v Hodson [2024] NSWCA 303 Hearing dates: 17 October 2024 Date of orders: 18 December 2024 Decision date: 18 December 2024 Before: Ward P at [1]; Leeming JA at [280]; Basten AJA [286] Decision: 1. Appeal and cross-appeal each be allowed with costs. Catchwords: NEGLIGENCE – Duty of care – Mental harm – Where respondent exposed to traumatic incident in the course of employment – Whether respondent's exposure to incident was causative of post-traumatic stress disorder and major depressive disorder – Whether respondent actually exposed to incident – Whether respondent's employer breached duty of care in failing to direct respondent not to attend incident – Whether duty of care negatived by s 32 of the Civil Liability Act 2002 (NSW) – Appeal allowed EVIDENCE – Expert evidence – Where assumptions made by experts called by respondent not proved on the facts – Where facts as proved dissimilar from expert assumptions – Where little to no weight can be attributed to expert evidence as to causation Legislation Cited: Civil Liability Act 2002 (NSW), ss 5B, 5C, 5D, 30, 32 Law Reform (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1946 (NSW), s 5(1) Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (NSW), ss 17, 19, 20 Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011 (NSW), cll 34-39 Workers Compensation Act 1987 (NSW), s 151Z, Div 3 Pt 5 Cases Cited: Benic v State of New South Wales [2010] NSWSC 1039 Bunnings Group Ltd v Guidice [2018] NSWCA 144 Capar v SPG Investments Pty Ltd t/as Lidcombe Power Centre [2020] NSWCA 354 Chappel v Hart (1998) 195 CLR 232; [1998] HCA 55 Collins v Insurance Australia Ltd (2022) 109 NSWLR 240; [2022] NSWCA 135 Culver v Sekulich (1959) 80 Wyoming 437 Dasreef Pty Ltd v Hawchar (2011) 243 CLR 588; [2011] HCA 21 Davidson v R [2022] NSWCCA 153 Eric Preston Pty Ltd v Euroz Securities Ltd (2011) 274 ALR 705; [2011] FCAFC 11 Karzi v Toll Pty Ltd [2024] NSWCA 120 Koehler v Cerebos (Australia) Limited (2005) 222 CLR 44; [2005] HCA 15 Kozarov v State of Victoria (2022) 273 CLR; [2022] HCA 12 Kubovic v HMS Management Pty Ltd [2015] NSWCA 315 Makita (Aust) Pty Ltd v Sprowles (2001) 52 NSWLR 705; [2001] NSWCA 305 Mount Isa Mines Pty Ltd v Pusey (1970) 125 CLR 383; [1970] HCA 60 Optus Administration Pty Ltd v Glen Wright by his tutor James Stuart Wright [2017] NSWCA 21 Palmer-Bruyn and Parker Pty Ltd v Parsons (2001) 208 CLR 388; [2001] HCA 69 Paric v John Holland Constructions Pty Ltd (1985) 62 ALR 85; [1985] HCA 58 Paric v John Holland Constructions Pty Ltd [1984] 2 NSWLR 505 Prouten v Chapman [2021] NSWCA 207 R v Ryan [2002] VSCA 176 Ramsay v Watson (1961) 108 CLR 642; [1961] HCA 65 Roads and Traffic Authority of NSW v Dederer (2007) 234 CLR 330; [2007] HCA 42 Robinson Helicopter Company Inc. v McDermott [2016] HCA 22; (2016) 90 ALJR 679 Robinson v EACH Ltd [2024] VSCA 313 Stojan (No 9) v Kenway [2009] NSWCA 364 Sydney Wide Distributors Pty Ltd v Red Bull Australia Pty Ltd [2022] FCAFC 157 Tame v New South Wales; Annetts v Australian Stations Pty Limited (2002) 211 CLR 317; [2002] HCA 35 TNT Australia v Christie (2003) 65 NSWLR 1; [2003] NSWCA 47 Top Hut Banoon Pastoral Co Pty Ltd t/as Trustee for the Wakefield Family Trust v Walker [2021] NSWCA 296 Watson v Foxman (1995) 49 NSWLR 315 Wicks v State Rail Authority (NSW) (2010) 241 CLR 60; [2010] HCA 22 Zaghloul v Bayly [2021] WASCA 125 Texts Cited: D A Ipp (Chairman), Review of the Law of Negligence Report (2 October 2002) JD Heydon, Cross on Evidence (14th ed, 2023, LexisNexis) JJ Spigelman AC, "Truth and the law" in N Perram and R Pepper, The Byers Lectures 2000–2012 (The Federation Press, 2012) Category: Principal judgment Parties: Lederer Group Pty Ltd (Appellant) Andrew Hodson (First Respondent) Hurex Pty Ltd (Second Respondent/Cross-Appellant) Representation: Counsel: D A Lloyd SC with T Kane (Appellant) D Campbell SC with J L Magee (First Respondent) M Gerace SC with J Ryan (Second Respondent/Cross-Appellant)