BHP Billiton Ltd v Dunning [2015] NSWCA 55

Court of Appeal Supreme Court New South Wales Medium Neutral Citation: BHP Billiton Ltd v Dunning [2015] NSWCA 55 Hearing dates: 2 and 3 February 2015 Decision date: 11 March 2015 Before: Basten JA at [1]; Macfarlan JA at [48]; Meagher JA at [152] Decision: Appeal dismissed with costs. Catchwords: WORKERS COMPENSATION – dust diseases – the respondent successfully brought a claim against the appellant relating to injury resulting from exposure to asbestos during his employment with the appellant – whether the primary judge erred in finding that the appellant breached its duty of care to the respondent – whether the primary judge erroneously assumed that a finding of breach should follow automatically from a finding of foreseeability

EVIDENCE – opinion evidence – whether non-expert witness able to give evidence that material was or contained asbestos – admissible as evidence of objectively observed fact in the particular circumstances of the case – resort to ss 78 and 79 of the Evidence Act 1995 concerning opinion evidence unnecessary to support its admission

EVIDENCE – evidence of practice – estimates by supervisor of periods and intensity of exposures of workers to asbestos – generality of the evidence no barrier to its admission Legislation Cited: Civil Liability Act 2002 (NSW), s 3B(1)(b) Dust Diseases Tribunal Act 1989 (NSW), s 32 Evidence Act 1995 (NSW), ss 55(1), 78, 79 Factories, Shops and Industries Act 1962 (NSW), s 41(2) Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005 (NSW) Cases Cited: Amaba Pty Ltd v Booth [2010] NSWCA 344 Amaca Pty Ltd v Ellis [2010] HCA 5; 240 CLR 111 Australian Broadcasting Tribunal v Bond [1990] HCA 33; 170 CLR 321 Azzopardi v Tasman UEB Industries Ltd (1985) 4 NSWLR 139 Baker v Quantum Clothing Group Ltd [2011] UKSC 17; [2011] 1 WLR 1003 Connor v Blacktown District Hospital [1971] 1 NSWLR 713 Dunning v BHP Billiton Limited [2014] NSWDDT 3 Howard Smith & Patrick Travel Pty Ltd v Comcare [2014] NSWCA 215 Jones v Dunkel [1959] HCA 8; 101 CLR 298 Kostas v HIA Insurance Services Pty Ltd [2010] HCA 32; 241 CLR 390 Lithgow City Council v Jackson [2011] HCA 36; 244 CLR 352 New South Wales v Fahy [2007] HCA 20; 81 ALJR 1021 Strong v Woolworths Ltd [2012] HCA 5; 246 CLR 182 Tame v New South Wales [2002] HCA 35; 211 CLR 317 Williams v University of Birmingham [2011] EWCA Civ 1242 Wyong Shire Council v Shirt [1980] HCA 12; 146 CLR 40 Texts Cited: J D Heydon, Cross on Evidence, (9th Australian ed 2013, LexisNexis Butterworths) Category: Principal judgment Parties: BHP Billiton Ltd (Appellant) Jake Douglas Dunning as tutor for Steven Douglas Dunning (Respondent) Representation: Counsel: B W Walker SC/T G R Parker SC (Appellant) P C B Semmler QC/S Tzouganatos (Respondent)