Holdlen Pty Ltd v Walsh [2000] NSWCA 87

Reported Decision : [2000] 19 NSWCCR 629

New South Wales Court of Appeal

CITATION : Holdlen Pty Ltd v Walsh [2000] NSWCA 87 FILE NUMBER(S) : CA 40482/99 & 40483/99 HEARING DATE(S) : 12 April 2000 JUDGMENT DATE : 26 April 2000

PARTIES : Holdlen Pty Ltd - Appellant Leah Denise Walsh - Respondent JUDGMENT OF : Meagher JA at 1; Giles JA at 2; Heydon JA at 53

LOWER COURT JURISDICTION : Compensation Court LOWER COURT 6896/97 & 7215/98 FILE NUMBER(S) : LOWER COURT Geraghty J JUDICIAL OFFICER :

COUNSEL : R I Harrington - Appellant J Poulos QC & G A Rich - Respondent SOLICITORS : Curwood & Partners, Sydney - Appellant Tonkin Drysdale Partners, Woy Woy - Respondent CATCHWORDS : WORKERS COMPENSATION - injury - some years later death by suicide - award to worker's dependants if death resulted from injury - trial judge found it did - whether error in point of law - evidence of causal link - no error - discussion of cases calling for inquiry into worker's sanity at time of suicide - need for inquiry doubted - discussion whether s 14(3) of Workers Compensation Act can apply in a case of death by suicide - not necessary to decide. - WORKERS COMPENSATION - injury - award to dependants wholly dependent for support on worker - trial judge found child wholly dependent - whether error in point of law - worker obliged to pay maintenance - total dependency not incompatible with worker's wife in fact providing support - evidence on which total dependency could be found - no error. (a) CAUSATION - Koorangang Cement Pty Ltd v Bates (1994) 35 NSWLR 452; Accident Compensation Commission v C E Heath Underwriting Insurance (Aust) Pty Ltd (1994) 121 ALR 417; Sutherland Shire Council v Baltica General Insurance Co Ltd (1995) 39 NSWLR 87. (b) INSANITY AND S 14(3) - Fenton v Thorley & Co Ltd (1903) AC 443; Grime v Fletcher (1915) 8 BWCC 69; Withers v London, Brighton and South Coast Railway Company (1916) 2 KB 772; Marriott v Maltby Main Colliery Co Ltd (1920) 13 BWCC 353; Bevan v Lancasters Steam Coal Collieries (1926) 20 BWCC 241; Johnson v Warren (1928) 21 BWCC 411; CASES CITED: Church v Dugdale & Adams Ltd (1929) 22 BWCC 444; Parry v English Steel Corporation Ltd (1939) 32 BWCC 272; King v Associated Battery Makers of Australia Pty Ltd (1954) WCR 105; Mitchell v Hunt (1960) WCR 56; Bird v Australian Iron & Steel Pty Ltd (1979) WCR 227; Muscat v NSW Harness Racing Club Ltd (1995) 11 NSWCCR 1; March v E & M H Stramare Pty Ltd (1991) 171 CLR 506; Medlin v State Government Insurance Commission (1995) 182 CLR 1; Director of Public Prosecutions for Northern Ireland v Lynch (1975) AC 653; MMI Workers Compensation (NSW) v Kennedy (1993) 9 NSWCCR 482. (c) DEPENDENCY - Aafjes v Kearney (1976) 180 CLR 199; McCaffety's Management Pty Ltd v Pimlott (CA, 5 December 1995, unreported). DECISION : Appeal dismissed with costs.