Daniel Gerard FITZGIBBON v THE WATERWAYS AUTHORITY & ORS [2003] NSWCA 294

New South Wales Court of Appeal

CITATION : Daniel Gerard FITZGIBBON v THE WATERWAYS AUTHORITY & ORS [2003] NSWCA 294 revised - 5/12/2003 HEARING DATE(S) : 13/10/2003 JUDGMENT DATE : 3 December 2003

JUDGMENT OF : Meagher JA at 1; Santow JA at 2; Foster AJA at 3-54 DECISION : 1. The appeal be upheld.; 2. The judgment in favour of the defendants be set aside.; 3. That there be a new trial of the action conducted on the basis that it is established in favour of the appellant that, through being jostled or pushed, he lost his balance and fell from the jetty into the water.; 4. That the respondents pay the appellant's costs of the appeal and his costs of the first trial.

CATCHWORDS : Appellant struck his head upon the sandy bottom of shallow waters within the premises of the Middle Harbour Yacht Club after competing in a regatta at that club. Beale v Government Insurance Office of NSW (1997) 48 NSWLR 430 (at 431) CASES CITED : Soulemezis v Dudley (Holdings) Pty Limited (1987) 10 NSWLR 247 Mifsud v Campbell (1991) 21 NSWLR 725 Fox v Percy (2003) 77 ALJR 989 at 995 Daniel Gerard FITZGIBBON - Appellant PARTIES : THE WATERWAYS AUTHORITY - First Respondent MIDDLE HARBOUR YACHT CLUB - Second Respondent MOSMAN MUNICIPAL COUNCIL - Third Respondent FILE NUMBER(S) : CA 41223/02 Mr J. Hislop QC / Mr Ian Cullen - Appellant COUNSEL : Mr J. Glissan QC /Mr Michael Fordham - First Respondent Mr I.G. Harrison SC/Mr R. Cavanagh - Second Respondent Mr Peter Taylor SC /Mr S. Glascott - Third Respondent Paul A. Curtis & Co - Appellant SOLICITORS : Messrs McCabe Terrill - First Respondent Messrs Riley, Gray-Spencer - Second Respondent Messrs Phillips Fox - Third Respondent