Government Insurance Office of New South Wales v Colgate Palmolive Pty Ltd [2001] NSWCA 24

Reported Decision : (2001) 50 NSWLR 729 (2001) 21 NSWCCR 436

New South Wales Court of Appeal

CITATION : Government Insurance Office of New South Wales v Colgate Palmolive Pty Ltd [2001] NSWCA 24 FILE NUMBER(S) : CA 41007/99 HEARING DATE(S) : 29 January 2001 JUDGMENT DATE : 22 February 2001

PARTIES : Government Insurance Office of New South Wales (Appellant) Colgate Palmolive Pty Ltd (Respondent) JUDGMENT OF : Priestley JA at 1; Sheller JA at 2; Heydon JA at 3

LOWER COURT JURISDICTION : Dust Diseases Tribunal LOWER COURT DDT 118/90 FILE NUMBER(S) : LOWER COURT Curtis J JUDICIAL OFFICER :

COUNSEL : G F Little SC/N E Chen (Appellant) C R R Hoeben SC (Respondent) SOLICITORS : Sparke Helmore (Appellant) Barker Gosling (Respondent) CATCHWORDS : Workers Compensation - "Occupational diseases" - Nature of employment to which diseases due - Employment risks - Gradual progression of diseases - Cumulative causes and aggravation of diseases over time - Liability of employer - Indemnification by insurer - Multiple insurers - Identification of liable insurer - Relevance of actual causation to insurers' liability - Relevance of mere risk of causation to insurers' liability - Liability consequences of triggering common and uncommon latent conditions - Effect of smoking on risk of contracting disease - Relevance of smoking to liability - Workers Compensation Act 1987, s 151AB. D Dust Diseases Tribunal Act 1989 LEGISLATION CITED : Workers Compensation Act 1926 Workers Compensation Act 1987 Azzopardi v Tasman UEB Industries Ltd (1985) 4 NSWLR 139 Blatchford v Staddon and Founds [1927] AC 461 CIC Workers Compensation (NSW) Ltd v Alcan Australia Ltd (1994) 35 NSWLR 169 CIC Workers Compensation (NSW) Ltd v Kellogg (Australia) Pty Ltd (1996) 40 NSWLR 422 Coal & Allied Operations Pty Ltd v Collins (1989) 5 NSWCCR 218 Commonwealth v Bourne (1960) 104 CLR 32 CASES CITED: Commonwealth v Rutledge (1964) 111 CLR 1 Commonwealth v Thompson (1960) 104 CLR 48 Connair Pty Ltd v Frederiksen (1979) 53 ALJR 505 FAI Traders Insurance Co Ltd v HIH Winterthur Workers Compensation (NSW) Pty Ltd (1998) 45 NSWLR 257 GIO General Limited v ABB Installation & Service Pty Ltd (2000) 19 NSWCCR 720 MMI Insurance Compensation (NSW) Ltd v Baker (1997) 41 NSWLR 289 Smith v Mann (1932) 47 CLR 426 WorkCover Authority of New South Wales v Chubb Australia Ltd [2000] NSWCA 221 DECISION : Appeal dismissed; the appellant is to pay the respondent's costs of the appeal