Hirst v Sydney South West Area Health Service [2011] NSWSC 664

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Hirst v Sydney South West Area Health Service [2011] NSWSC 664 Hearing dates: 25-27 October 2010; 3-4 November 2010 &14-16 February 2011 Decision date: 22 August 2011 Jurisdiction: Common Law Before: Davies J Decision: Verdict for the Plaintiff with damages to be agreed or assessed. Catchwords: NEGLIGENCE - medical negligence - diagnosis - obstetric practice - diagnosis of "unstable lie" - whether such a diagnosis made - failure to manage properly - baby with developed hydrocephalus when diagnosis ought to have been made of unstable lie - reduction in disabilities if treated earlier - causation - Civil Liability Act - whether s 5E is confined to legal onus - whether principle in Watts v Rake operative to claims under Civil Liability Act. Legislation Cited: Civil Liability Act 2002 Cases Cited: Adeels Palace Pty Ltd v Moubarak (2009) 239 CLR 420 Banque Bruxelles Lambert SA v Eagle Star Insurance Co Ltd [1997] AC 191 Flounders v Millar [2007] NSWCA 238 Jones v Dunkel [1959] HCA 8; (1959) 101 CLR 298 McGhee v National Coal Board [1973] 1 WLR 1 Mobbs v Kain [2009] NSWCA 301 Purkess v Crittenden (1965) 114 CLR 164 Shorey v PT Limited [2003] HCA 27; (2003) 77 ALJR 1104 State of New South Wales v Doherty [2011] NSWCA 225 Stephens (t/as CTS Plumbing) v Giavenco [2011] NSWCA 53 Sydney South West Area Health Service v Stamoulis [2009] NSWCA 153 Tabet v Gett (2010) 240 CLR 537 Varga v Galea [2011] NSWCA 76 Watts v Rake (1960) 108 CLR 158 Wilson v Nilepac Pty Ltd [2011] NSWCA 63 Woolworths Limited v Strong [2010] NSWCA 282 Zanner v Zanner [2010] NSWCA 343 Texts Cited: Isaac MacKenzie, High Risk Pregnancy, 2nd Ed., W B Saunders, 1999 Category: Principal judgment Parties: Eliza Grace Maree Hirst (Bnf Amanda Hirst) (Plaintiff) Dr David Browning (Second Defendant) Representation: A J Bartley SC, S J Longhurst & L Whalan (Plaintiff) D Higgs SC & E C Muston (Second Defendant) Kells The Lawyers (Plaintiff) Blake Dawson (Second Defendant) File Number(s): 2006/267037