Wallace v Ramsay Health Care Ltd [2010] NSWSC 518

New South Wales Supreme Court

CITATION : Wallace v Ramsay Health Care Ltd [2010] NSWSC 518

HEARING DATE(S) : 21 - 25 June 2010

JUDGMENT DATE : 9 July 2010

JUDGMENT OF : Harrison J

DECISION : Verdict for the second defendant with costs.

CATCHWORDS : NEGLIGENCE – medical negligence – spinal surgery – risks of surgery – failure to warn – where plaintiff suffered bilateral femoral neurapraxia following posterior lumbar interbody fusion – where no warning given of that risk despite general warning in standard terms – whether breach of duty to warn – whether plaintiff suffered harm in the circumstances - whether plaintiff would have declined surgery if warned of the risk of harm that materialised – whether harm caused by failure to warn – where plaintiff would not have declined surgery in any event - bilateral femoral neurapraxia not caused by defendant's breach of duty.

LEGISLATION CITED : Civil Liability Act 2002

CATEGORY : Principal judgment

Adeels Palace Pty Ltd v Moubarak [2009] HCA 48; (2009) 239 CLR 420 Ambulance Service of NSW v Worley [2006] NSWCA 102 CASES CITED : Rogers v Whitaker [1992] HCA 58; (1992) 175 CLR 479 Rosenberg v Percival [2001] HCA 18; (2001) 205 CLR 434 Sidaway v Board of Governors of the Bethlem Royal Hospital [1985] AC 871

Ian Wallace (Plaintiff) PARTIES : Ramsay Health Care Limited t/as Westmead Private Hospital (First Defendant) Andrew Kam (Second Defendant)

FILE NUMBER(S) : SC 2007/265252

COUNSEL : P W Bates with P G White (Plaintiff) M J Fordham (Second Defendant)

SOLICITORS : Gerard Malouf & Partners (Plaintiff) TressCox Lawyers (Second Defendant)