Rail Services Australia v Dimovski & Anor [2004] NSWCA 267

New South Wales Court of Appeal

CITATION : Rail Services Australia v Dimovski & Anor [2004] NSWCA 267 HEARING DATE(S) : 17/02/2004 JUDGMENT DATE : 11 August 2004

JUDGMENT OF : Handley JA at 1; Hodgson JA at 38; Young CJ in Eq at 72 DECISION : 1. Appeal against the awards in favour of the worker, the first respondent, dismissed with costs.; 2. Motion for summary dismissal of the appeal filed by the first respondent dismissed with costs.; 3. Appeal against the award for the State Rail Authority, the second respondent, allowed.; 4. The award in the Compensation Court in favour of the second respondent set aside.; 5. Order that the proceedings be remitted to the District Court to hear and determine the appellant's claim for apportionment or contribution from the second respondent.; 6. The second respondent is to pay one-half of the appellant's costs of the appeal excluding any costs payable by it to the first respondent.

CATCHWORDS : RES JUDICATA - issue estoppel - no estoppel in changing situation - WORKERS COMPENSATION - injury - disease - frank injury - workers compensation - causation - results from injury - WORKERS COMPENSATION - causation - results from two or more injuries - apportionment or contribution - D LEGISLATION CITED : Workers Compensation Act 1987 Australian Conveyor Engineering Pty Ltd v Mecha Engineering Pty Ltd (1998) 45 NSWLR 606 Colchester Estates (Cardiff) v Carlton Industries plc [1986] Ch 80 Colliar v Bulley (2000) 19 NSWCCR 302 Kooragang Cement Pty Ltd v Bates (1994) 35 NSWLR 452 Lyons v Master Builders Association of New South Wales Pty Ltd (2003) 25 NSWCCR 422 CASES CITED : Minister of Pensions v Higham [1948] 2 KB 153 MLC Insurance Ltd v Pinto 1994) 10 NSWCCR 101 CA O'Donel v Commissioner for Road Transport (1938) 59 CLR 744 Sidiropoulos v Able Placements Pty Ltd (1998) 16 NSWCCR 123 Sutherland Shire Council v Baltica General Insurance Co Ltd (1996) 39 NSWLR 87 Yates Bros (Stratford) Pty Ltd v Neil [1999] NSWCA 108 Rail Services Australia (Appellant) PARTIES : Steve Dimovski (First Respondent) State Rail Authority (Second Respondent) FILE NUMBER(S) : CA 40686/02 L King QC/D Saul (Appellant) COUNSEL : P Biggins (First Respondent) R Hanrahan (Second Respondent) Leigh Virtue & Associates (Appellant) SOLICITORS : The Hargreaves Practice (First Respondent) Dibbs Barker Gosling (Second Respondent)