STATE OF NEW SOUTH WALES v BURTON [2006] NSWCA 12

Reported Decision : (2006) Aust Torts Reports 81-826

New South Wales Court of Appeal

CITATION: STATE OF NEW SOUTH WALES v BURTON [2006] NSWCA 12 This decision has been amended. Please see the end of the judgment for a list of the amendments.

HEARING DATE(S): 27 September 2005

JUDGMENT DATE: 10 February 2006

JUDGMENT OF: Spigelman CJ at 1; Basten JA at 31; Hunt AJA at 87

DECISION: (1) Appeal allowed in part and orders 1 and 2 made by the District Court on 22 October 2004 be set aside; (2) Remit the matter to the District Court for assessment of the loss of the chance of a better medical outcome ; (3) The Respondent pay the Appellant 25% of its costs of the appeal ; (4) The costs of the trial should abide the outcome of the further trial with respect to the assessment of damages ; (5) The Respondent shall have a certificate under the Suitors' Fund Act 1951 (NSW) in relation to the costs of the appeal

CATCHWORDS: NEGLIGENCE – police officer shot at during siege and developed posttraumatic stress disorder - whether reasonably foreseeable risk of psychiatric harm – whether State breached its duty of care by not providing proper psychiatric and psychological treatment and counselling – whether breach of duty caused loss – whether breach of duty materially contributed to severity and duration of PTSD – whether breach of duty caused loss of a chance to reduce severity and duration of PTSD – contributory negligence

LEGISLATION CITED: Law Reform (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1946 (NSW), s 5(1)(c)

Athey v Leonati [1996] 3 SCR 458 Bonnington Castings Ltd v Wardlaw [1956] AC 613 Dillingham Constructions Pty Ltd v Steel Mains Pty Ltd (1975) 132 CLR 323 Dorset Yacht Co v Home Office [1970] AC 1004 Gregg v Scott [2005] 2 WLR 268 Hatton v Sutherland [2002] 2 All ER 1 Hole v Hocking [1962] SASR 128 Holtby v Brigham & Cowan (Hull) Ltd [2000] 3 All ER 421 Koehler v Cerebos (Aust) Limited [2005] HCA 15; (2005) 79 ALJR 845 Malec v J C Hutton Pty Ltd (1990) 169 CLR 638 CASES CITED: Middleton v Melbourne Tramway and Omnibus Co Ltd (1913) 16 CLR 572 Naxakis v Western General Hospital (1999) 197 CLR 269 Olympic Holdings Pty Limited v Lochel [2004] WASC 61 Purkess v Crittenden (1965) 114 CLR 164 Rufo v Hosking (2004) 61 NSWLR 678 Savini v Australian Terrazzo & Concrete Co Pty Ltd [1959] VR 811 Sellars v Adelaide Petroleum NL (1994) 179 CLR 332 Seltsam Pty Ltd v Ghaleb [2005] NSWCA 208 Smith v Leech Brain & Co Ltd [1962] 2 WLR 148 Watts v Rake (1960) 108 CLR 158 Wilson v Peisley (1975) 50 ALJR 207