O'Gorman v Sydney South West Area Health Service [2008] NSWSC 1127

New South Wales Supreme Court

CITATION : O'Gorman v Sydney South West Area Health Service [2008] NSWSC 1127

HEARING DATE(S) : 07/10/2008, 09/10/2008, 10/10/2008, 13/10/2008, 14/10/2008, 15/10/2008, 16/10/2008

JUDGMENT DATE : 29 October 2008

JUDGMENT OF : Hoeben J

DECISION : Judgment for the plaintiff against the defendant in the amount of $405,990.15. Defendant to pay the plaintiff's costs of these proceedings.

CATCHWORDS : MEDICAL NEGLIGENCE - breast screening by mammography - content of duty of care owed by breast screening organisation to plaintiff - whether suspicious changes on 2006 mammogram - breach of duty - application of s 5O Civil Liability Act 2002 - causation - whether earlier intervention would have found tumour - whether plaintiff lost chance of a better outcome - damages - non-economic loss and loss of future earning capacity.

LEGISLATION CITED : Civil Liability Act 2002

CATEGORY : Principal judgment

Betts v Whittingslowe (1945) 71 CLR 637 at 649 Chappel v Hart (1998) 195 CLR 232 Commonwealth of Australia v McLean (NSWCA – 31.12.1996) Dell v Dalton (1991) 23 NSWLR 528 Dobler v Kenneth Halverson [2007] NSWCA 335 Fitch v Hyde-Cates (1982) 150 CLR 482 CASES CITED : Naxakis v Western General Hospital & Anor (1999) 197 CLR 269 at 279 O'Shea v Sullivan (unreported, Smart J, 6 May 1995). Ruddock v Taylor [2003] NSWCA 262, (2003) 58 NSWLR 269 at 286 Rufo v Hosking [2004] NSWCA 391, (2004) 61 NSWLR 678 Seltsam Pty Limited v McGuiness & Anor [2000] NSWCA 29, (2000) 49 NSWLR 262 at 279 Sharman v Evans (1977) 138 CLR 563 Skelton v Collins (1966) 115 CLR 94