Wallace v Kam [2012] NSWCA 82

Court of Appeal Supreme Court New South Wales Medium Neutral Citation: Wallace v Kam [2012] NSWCA 82 Hearing dates: 19 September 2011 Decision date: 13 April 2012 Before: Allsop P at [1]; Beazley JA at [35]; Basten JA at [156] Decision: Appeal dismissed with costs. [Note: The Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005 provide (Rule 36.11) that unless the Court otherwise orders, a judgment or order is taken to be entered when it is recorded in the Court's computerised court record system. Setting aside and variation of judgments or orders is dealt with by Rules 36.15, 36.16, 36.17 and 36.18. Parties should in particular note the time limit of fourteen days in Rule 36.16.] Catchwords: TORTS - NEGLIGENCE - medical practitioner - duty to warn patient of material risks inherent in proposed surgery - multiple material risks - whether warning was required

TORTS - NEGLIGENCE - medical practitioner - causation - whether failure to warn of material risk that did not eventuate causally connected to injury - Civil Liability Act 2002, s 5D Legislation Cited: Civil Liability Act 2002 Cases Cited: Adeels Palace Pty Ltd v Moubarak; Adeels Palace Pty Ltd v Bou Najem [2009] HCA 48; 239 CLR 420 Bennett v Minister of Community Welfare [1992] HCA 27; 176 CLR 408 Canterbury v Spence 464 F 2d 772, 150 U.S.App.D.C. 263 (1972) Cattanach v Melchior [2003] HCA 38; 215 CLR 1 Chappel v Hart [1998] HCA 55; 195 CLR 232 Chester v Afshar [2004] UKHL 41; [2005] 1 AC 134 Cochran v Wyeth 3 A 3d 673 (Pa Super, 2010) Downer v Veilleux 322 A 2d 82 (Me. 1974) Ellis v Wallsend District Hospital (1989) 17 NSWLR 553 Environment Agency v Empress Car Co (Abertillery) Ltd [1998] UKHL 5; [1999] 2 AC 22 Faulkner v Keffalinos [1970] 45 ALJR 80 Hopp v Lepp [1980] 4 W.W.R. 645, 13 C.C.L.T. 66, 32 N.R. 145, 22 A.R. 361 Hughes v Lord Advocate [1963] UKHL 1; [1963] AC 837 March v Stramare (E & M H) Pty Ltd [1991] HCA 12; 171 CLR 506 Modbury Triangle Shopping Centre v Anzil [2000] HCA 61; 205 CLR 254 Moyes v Lothian Health Board 1990 S.L.T. 444 Pledge v RTA [2004] HCA 13; 205 ALR 56 Reibl v Hughes [1980] 2 S.C.R. 880, 14 C.C.L.T.1, 114 D.L.R. (3d) 1, 33 N.R. 361, J.E. 80-894 Rogers v Whitaker [1992] HCA 58; 175 CLR 479 Rosenberg v Percival [2001] HCA 18; 205 CLR 434 Sidaway v. Governors of Bethlem Royal Hospital [1985] AC 871 Strong v Woolworths Ltd [2012] HCA 5 Tame v NSW [2002] HCA 35; 211 CLR 317 Travel Compensation Fund v Tambree [2005] HCA 69, 224 CLR 627 Texts Cited: Gerd Gigerenzer in Reckoning with Risk (Penguin, 2002) HLA Hart and Tony Honoré, Causation in the Law, 2nd ed (1985) Michael S Moore, Causation and Responsibility: An Essay in Law, Morals and Metaphysics (OUP, 2010), p 101 Weinrib, "A Step Forward in Factual Causation" (1975) 38 Modern Law Review 518 Category: Principal judgment Parties: Ian Wallace (Appellant) Andrew Kam (Respondent) Representation: P Bates; P White (Appellant) D J Higgs SC; M Fordham (Respondent) Gerard Malouf & Partners (Appellant) Tresscox Lawyers (Respondent) File Number(s): CA 2007/265252 Decision under appeal Citation: Wallace v Ramsay Health Care [2010] NSWSC 518 Date of Decision: 2010-07-09 00:00:00 Before: Harrison J File Number(s): SC 20412/07