Cochrane & Anor v Hannaford [1999] NSWCA 371

New South Wales Court of Appeal CITATION : Cochrane & Anor v Hannaford [1999] NSWCA 371 FILE NUMBER(S) : CA 40256/97 HEARING DATE(S) : 8-9 June 1999 JUDGMENT DATE : 8 October 1999

Peter Robert Cochrane Joy Anne Cochrane PARTIES : Peter Robert Cochrane v Ronald Ian Hannaford JUDGMENT OF : Mason P; Brownie AJA; Foster AJA

LOWER COURT JURISDICTION : Supreme Court - Common Law Division LOWER COURT FILE NUMBER(S) : CW 500014/94 LOWER COURT JUDICIAL OFFICER : Ireland J

COUNSEL : A: J Poulos QC, Ms CE Adamson R: DGT Nock SC, P Regattieri SOLICITORS : A: Abbott Tout, Sydney R: MJ Duffy & Sons, Dubbo CATCHWORDS : TORT - Personal injuries - Motor vehicle accident - Contributory negligence - Whether plaintiff in the circumstances acted reasonably regarding own safety - Unexpected events requiring urgent action - Plaintiff working below grader situated on banking - Reasonable to assume grader would be maintained safely in position; DAMAGES - Economic loss - Quantification - Cost of providing full time foreman appropriate measure of loss of earning capacity of plaintiff - Loss of opportunity of developing farm property - Son and mother partnership at will - Whether loss of future earning capacity calculated by reference to plaintiff's share of partnership profits; DAMAGES - Interest on - Successful claim under Motor Accidents Act 1988 - Purpose and operation of s73 - Whether offer of settlement unreasonable - Whether at time offer made defendant not able to make reasonable assessment of plaintiff's full entitlement to damages; JUDGMENTS & ORDERS - Courts and Judges - Statement of reasons for decision - Scope of - Judge's duty to state reasons - Inferences to be drawn from absence of reasons - Whether relevant injustice or prejudice requiring decision be set aside ACTS CITED : Motor Accidents Act 1988 DECISION : Appeal upheld in part, cross-appeal upheld