McDonalds Australia Limited v Therma Truck Pty Limited [2002] NSWCA 268

New South Wales Court of Appeal

CITATION : McDonalds Australia Limited v Therma Truck Pty Limited [2002] NSWCA 268 FILE NUMBER(S) : CA 40402/01 HEARING DATE(S) : 10 July 2002 JUDGMENT DATE : 14 August 2002

PARTIES : McDonalds Australia Limited (Appellant/Cross-Respondent) Therma Truck Pty Limited (Respondent/Cross-Appellant) JUDGMENT OF : Mason P at 1; Stein JA at 2; Foster AJA at 94

LOWER COURT JURISDICTION : Supreme Court LOWER COURT SC 20419/98 FILE NUMBER(S) : LOWER COURT Master Harrison JUDICIAL OFFICER :

COUNSEL : B Toomey QC/J S Drummond (Appellant/Cross-Respondent) J E Sexton SC/D P O'Dowd (Respondent/Cross-Appellant) SOLICITORS : Herbert Geer & Rundle (Appellant/Cross-Respondent) Moray & Agnew (Respondent/Cross-Appellant) CATCHWORDS : NEGLIGENCE - plaintiff employed as truck driver and stagehand - seriously injured when stage platform fell upon him - whether Master improperly exercised the discretion involved in apportionment - whether apportionment was unreasonable or plainly unjust - causation - whether claim of breach of s 52 of Trade Practices Act 1974 (Cth) was statute barred - whether s 52 claim made out - costs - D Law Reform (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, s 5 LEGISLATION CITED : Sale of Goods Act 1923 Trade Practices Act 1974 (Cth), s 52, s 51A Dunnet v Brennan (2000) 31 MVR 362 Fitzgerald v Dansey [2001] NSWCA 339 James Hardie & Coy Pty Ltd v Roberts (1999) 47 NSWLR 425 Liftronic Pty Ltd v Unver (2001) 75 ALJR 867 Oxley County Council v MacDonald [1999] NSWCA 126 CASES CITED: Podrebersek v Australian Iron & Steel Pty Ltd (1985) 59 ALJR Rolls Royce Industrial Power (Pacific) Ltd v James Hardie & Coy Pty Ltd (2001) 53 NSWLR 626 Sousaari v Steinhardt (1989) 2 Qd R 477 Spencer v Balranald Shire Council [2002] NSWCA 102 Wright v TNT Management Pty Ltd (1989) 15 NSWLR 679 Wynbergen v Hoyts Corporation Pty Ltd [1997] 72 ALJR 65 DECISION : 1) Appeal dismissed with costs. 2) Cross-Appeal dismissed with costs. 3) Vary the orders for costs numbered (1) and (2) made by the Master on 10 May 2001 by setting them aside. 4) In substitution thereof, order that the respondent pay 80% of the appellant's costs of the cross-claim and order that the appellant pay 20% of the respondent's costs of the cross-claim.