Murray v Sheldon Commercial Interiors Pty Ltd [2016] NSWCA 77

Court of Appeal Supreme Court New South Wales Medium Neutral Citation: Murray v Sheldon Commercial Interiors Pty Ltd [2016] NSWCA 77 Hearing dates: 31 March 2016 Decision date: 15 April 2016 Before: Leeming JA; Payne JA; Schmidt J Decision: 1. Appeal dismissed.

2. Mr Murray to pay 80% of Sheldon's costs of the appeal. Catchwords: NEGLIGENCE – slip and fall – plaintiff fell from ladder while working in building site – plaintiff claimed he slipped because of dust – plaintiff sued head contractor for failing to keep site sufficiently dust-free – challenge to primary facts as to presence of dust – nature of duty owed by head contractor to employee of subcontractor – whether head contractor in breach – causation – whether plaintiff had discharged onus – appeal dismissed Legislation Cited: Civil Liability Act 2002 (NSW), ss 5B, 5C, 5E District Court Act 1973 (NSW), s 127 Supreme Court Act 1970 (NSW), s 75A Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005 (NSW), r 36.16 Workers Compensation Act 1987 (NSW), s 151Z Cases Cited: Adeels Palace Pty Ltd v Moubarak [2009] HCA 48; 239 CLR 420 Biogen Inc v Medeva Plc [1997] RPC 1 Czatyrko v Edith Cowan University [2005] HCA 14; 79 ALJR 839 Dasreef Pty Ltd v Hawchar [2011] HCA 21; 243 CLR 588 Doppstadt Australia Pty Ltd v Lovick & Son Developments Pty Ltd (No 2) [2014] NSWCA 219 Fox v Percy [2003] HCA 22; 214 CLR 118 Goodrich Aerospace Pty Ltd v Arsic [2006] NSWCA 187; 66 NSWLR 186 Jackson v McDonald's Australia Ltd [2014] NSWCA 162 Keith v Gal [2013] NSWCA 339 Leighton Contractors Pty Ltd v Fox [2009] HCA 35; 240 CLR 1 Macedonian Orthodox Community Church St Petka Incorporated v His Eminence Petar [2008] HCA 42; 237 CLR 66 Mitchell v Cullingral Pty Ltd [2012] NSWCA 389 New South Wales v Lepore [2003] HCA 4; 212 CLR 511 Nominal Defendant v Smith [2015] NSWCA 339; 73 MVR 257 Piglowska v Piglowski [1999] UKHL 27; [1999] 1 WLR 1360 Pollard v RRR Corporation Pty Ltd [2009] NSWCA 110 Port Macquarie Hastings Council v Mooney [2014] NSWCA 156; [2014] Aust Torts Rep 82-172 Redbro Investments Pty Ltd v Ceva Logistics (Australia) Pty Ltd [2015] NSWCA 73 Sexton v Homer [2013] NSWCA 414; 65 MVR 460 Waterways Authority v Fitzgibbon [2005] HCA 57; 79 ALJR 1816 Texts Cited: P McClellan, "Legislative facts and section 144 – a contemporary problem?" (2016) 12 The Judicial Review 421 Category: Principal judgment Parties: Stephen Murray (Appellant) Sheldon Commercial Interiors Pty Ltd (Respondent) Representation: Counsel: A S Morrison SC (Appellant) R Cavanagh SC, J Curtin (Respondent)