Penrith City Council v Parks [2004] NSWCA 201

New South Wales Court of Appeal

CITATION : Penrith City Council v Parks [2004] NSWCA 201 HEARING DATE(S) : 21 May 2004 JUDGMENT DATE : 21 June 2004

JUDGMENT OF : Giles JA at 1; Cripps AJA at 8; McClellan AJA at 12 DECISION : (1) The claimant has leave to appeal against the judgment of the District Court with respect to the quantum of damages found by that court; (2) The appeal be allowed; (3) The amount of the judgment be varied by reducing the amount of it from $76,530 to $29,030; (4) List the proceedings before Giles JA at 9.30 am on Monday 28 June 2004 for orders by consent as to costs or directions for written submissions on outstanding issues of costs, as the case may be.

CATCHWORDS : Negligence - defective paving slab - council cut slab preparatory to repairs - created hazard of cut section tilting underfoot - tilted and pedestrian tripped - whether negligence - whether damages for non-economic loss excessive - reassessment of damages for non-economic loss - whether damages for future economic loss excessive - whether s 13 of Civil Liability Act 2002 complied with - no material error and damages not excessive. D. Burwood City Council v Byrnes [2002] NSWCA 343; Ghantous v Hawkesbury City Council (2001) 206 CLR 512; CASES CITED : Husher v Husher (1999) 197 CLR 138; MacArthur Districts Motor Cycle Sportsman Inc v Ardizzone [2004] NSWCA 145; Medlin v State Government Insurance Commission (1995) 182 CLR 1. PARTIES : Penrith City Council - Appellant May Elizabeth Parks - Respondent FILE NUMBER(S) : CA 40586/03 COUNSEL : M Joseph SC & N Chen - Appellant P Frame - Respondent SOLICITORS : Tress Cocks Maddox - Appellant Lamrocks - Respondent