Laidlaw & Anor v Touma [2002] NSWCA 190

New South Wales Court of Appeal

CITATION : Laidlaw & Anor v Touma [2002] NSWCA 190 FILE NUMBER(S) : CA 40580/01 HEARING DATE(S) : 9 May 2002 JUDGMENT DATE : 24 June 2002

Jeremy John Laidlaw (First Claimant) PARTIES : Robyn Elizabeth Laidlaw (Second Claimant) Carolin Yvonne Touma (Opponent) JUDGMENT OF : Handley JA at 1; Stein JA at 2; Davies AJA at 38

LOWER COURT JURISDICTION : District Court LOWER COURT DC 2053/99 FILE NUMBER(S) : LOWER COURT Naughton DCJ JUDICIAL OFFICER :

COUNSEL : J D Hislop QC/J T de Berg (First and Second Claimants) R Colquhoun (Opponent) SOLICITORS : PricewaterhouseCoopers Legal (First and Second Claimants) Masons Solicitors (Opponent) CATCHWORDS : MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENT - time limit to commence proceedings for damages expired - application to extend time sought - whether evidence established a 'full and satisfactory' explanation for the delay - whether threshold likely to be met - prejudice to the claimants - ND LEGISLATION CITED : Motor Accidents Act 1988, s 40, s 52, s 79A Holt v Wynter (2000) 49 NSWLR 128 CASES CITED: Mancini v Thompson [2002] NSWCA38 Nicholas v Webb (No 2) (Unreported, Supreme Court of New South Wales, 19 March 1993) DECISION : 1) Leave to appeal granted 2) Appeal allowed 3) Judgment of Naughton DCJ of 4 July 2001 set aside and, in lieu thereof, order that the opponent's Notice of Motion to extend time be dismissed with costs 4) Opponent to pay the claimants' costs of the appeal but receive a certificate under the Suitor's Fund Act if she is otherwise entitled thereto.