Seary v White (No 4) [2008] NSWDC 20

New South Wales District Court

CITATION: Seary v White (No 4) [2008] NSWDC 20 This decision has been amended. Please see the end of the judgment for a list of the amendments.

HEARING DATE(S): 18, 19, 20, 21, 22 June, 23, 24 August, and 14, 15, 16 November 2007

JUDGMENT DATE: 8 February 2008

JURISDICTION: Civil Jurisdiction

JUDGMENT OF: Johnstone DCJ at 1

DECISION: Verdict and judgment for the plaintiff for $569,912.00

CATCHWORDS: DAMAGES - whether the plaintiff sustained any significant cognitive deficits that result from an irreversible traumatic brain injury caused by a motor accident - conflicting neurological evidence - conflicting psychological evidence as to the results of psychometric testing - MAS certificates not probative of causation - consideration of the nature, effect and duration of a psychological condition caused by the motor accident - economic loss - no direct evidence of probable earnings - evaluation of the worth of a loss of capacity to earn

LEGISLATION CITED: Motor Accidents Compensation Act 1999: s 128, s 131

Graham v Baker [1961] HCA 48; (1961) 106 CLR 340 at 347 Ivkovic v Australian Iron & Steel Ltd [1963] SR (NSW) 598 at 607 Jones v Schiffman [1971] HCA 52 Linsell v Robson [1976] 1 NSWLR 249 at 259 CASES CITED: Mafra v Egan (No 1) (2006) NSWDC 22 Malec v J C Hutton Pty Ltd [1990] HCA 20; (1990) 169 CLR 638 at 639 Paff v Speed [1961] HCA 14; (1961) 105 CLR 549 at 566 Pham v Shui [2006] NSWCA 373 at [90] Qantas Airways Ltd v Lisica [2007] NSWCA 371 State of NSW v Moss [2000] NSWCA 133 at [71]