Pieter Hoekstra v Residual Assco Industries Pty Ltd & 2 Ors [2004] NSWSC 564

New South Wales Supreme Court

CITATION : Pieter Hoekstra v Residual Assco Industries Pty Ltd & 2 Ors [2004] NSWSC 564 revised - 31/01/2005 HEARING DATE(S) : 8 - 17 March 2004 JUDGMENT DATE : 25 June 2004

JUDGMENT OF : Dunford J DECISION : See para [138]

CATCHWORDS : NEGLIGENCE - employment injury - floor plate at foot of ladder on tug boat removed - plaintiff descends ladder and misses footing - falls below floor level into bilge - floor plate removed by servant or agent of third party - liability of third party - liability of employer - non-delegable duty - apportionment of responsibility between employer and third party - NEGLIGENCE - contibutory negligence - employee pre-occupied with his duties - whether guilty of contributory negligence - EMPLOYMENT LAW - relationship of employer and employee - number of companies in group - which the employer - indicia to identify employer - DAMAGES - assessment of. Law Reform (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1946 s 5 LEGISLATION CITED : Law Reform (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1965 s 9 Workers Compensation Act 1987 Workers Compensation Legislation Further Amendment Act 2001 Australian Insurance Employees v W P Insurance Services Pty Limited (1982) 1 IR 212 Brodie v Singleton Shire Council and Ghantous v Hawkesbury City Council [2001] HCA 29, 206 CLR 512 Burnie Port Authority v General Jones Pty Ltd (1994) 179 CLR 520 Bus v Sydney County Council (1989) 167 CLR 78 Dalgety Farmers Limited t/a Grazcos v Bruce (unrep - CA - 3 August 1995, BC 9505124) David Jones Ltd v Bates [2001] NSWCA 233 Felk Industries Pty Limited v Mallett & Anor (2004) NSWCA 175 Kondis v State Transport Authority (1984) 154 CLR 672 Lepore v State of New South Wales [2001] NSWCA 112, 52 NSWLR 420 Lipman Pty Limited v McGregor & ors [2004] NSWCA 6 McLean v Tedman (1984) 155 CLR 306 CASES CITED : Nagle v Rottnest Island Authority (1993) 177 CLR 423 New South Wales v Lepore [2003] HCA 4, 212 CLR 511 Northern Sandblasting Pty Ltd v Harris (1997) 188 CLR 313 Parsons v Randwick Municipal Council [2003] NSWCA 171 Polycarpou v Australian Wire Industries Pty Ltd (1995) 36 NSWLR 49 Rasic v Cruz [2000] NSWCA 66 Romeo v Conservation Commission (NT) (1998) 192 CLR 431 Scott v Davis [2000] HCA 52, 175 ALR 217 Teen Ranch Pty Ltd v Brown (1995) 11 NSWCCR 197 TNT Australia Pty Limited v Christie & ors [2003] NSWCA 47 Van Der Sluice v Display Craft Pty Ltd [2002] NSWCA 204 Visscher v BHP Petroleum Pty Ltd [2002] NSWSC 65 Waverley Municipal Council v Swain [2003] NSWCA 61 PARTIES : Pieter Hoekstra v Residual Assco Industries Pty Ltd (formerly known as Adelaide Steamship Pty Limited) & 2 Ors FILE NUMBER(S) : SC 20127/03 B J Gross QC/B D Dooley - Plaintiff COUNSEL : J N Gleeson QC/M A Kumar - First Defendant M B Williams SC/M T Vesper - Second Defendant P E Blacket SC/J Sleight - Third Defendant Carroll & O'Dea Solicitors - Plaintiff SOLICITORS : Moray & Agnew Solicitors - First Defendant Piper Alderman Solicitors - Second Defendant Ebsworth & Ebsworth Lawyers - Third Defendant