Cooper v Nominal Defendant [2017] NSWDC 3

District Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Cooper v Nominal Defendant [2017] NSWDC 3 Hearing dates: 30-31 May 2016, 1-3 June 2016 (Nowra); 7-8 June 2016 (Sydney) Date of orders: 20 January 2017 Decision date: 20 January 2017 Jurisdiction: Civil Before: Neilson DCJ Decision: Verdict and judgment for the plaintiff for $1,114,493 Catchwords: MOTOR ACCIDENTS COMPENSATION – Collision between two motorcycles, one driven by plaintiff (P) and other driver by Lamont (L) – Each motorcycle was an "offroad bike" – Neither bike registrable or insured – Both P and L had been in each other's company for over 18 hours – Each had been consuming alcohol – L's BAC was 0.156 – P's BAC was of no evidentiary value – Collision occurred before any natural light, about 5.15 am, on a public street – Neither P or L had any reliable recollection of the 12 hours preceding the collision – Whether L owed a duty of care to P – Extent of P's contributory negligence – P was catastrophically injured – Extent of P's non-economic loss – What P could have been expected to earn but for collision – Whether P had any earning capacity post collision Legislation Cited: Civil Liability Act 2002 Crimes (Administration of Sentence) Act 1999 Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999 Evidence Act 1995 Motor Accidents Act 1988 Motor Accidents Compensation Act 1999 Motor Accidents (Lifetime Care and Support) Act 2006 Road Transport Act 2013 Cases Cited: Briginshaw v Briginshaw (1938) 60 CLR 336 Butt v Liebherr Australia Pty Ltd [2015] NSWDC 3; (2015) 19 DCLR (NSW) 346 at [11] Clyde v State of NSW (TAFE Commission) (1995) 12 NSWCCR 541 Collins v Clarence Valley Council [2015] NSWCA 263 Cook v Cook [1986] HCA 73; (1986) 162 CLR 376 Gala v Preston [1991] HCA 18; (1991) 172 CLR 243 Golden Eagle International Trading Pty Ltd v Zhang [2007] HCA 15; (2007) 229 CLR 498 Green & Ors v Nominal Defendant [2012] NSWDC 37 Hodgson v Crane [2002] NSWCA 276; (2002) 55 NSWLR 199; Imbree v McNeilly [2006] NSWSC 680 Imbree v McNeilly [2008] HCA 40; (2008) 236 CLR 510 Insurance Commissioner v Joyce (1948) 77 CLR 39; [1948] HCA 17 Joslyn v Berryman (2003) 214 CLR 552; [2003] HCA 34 Kallouf v Middis [2008] NSWCA 61 Knight v GIO of NSW [1995] NSWCA 246 Mackenzie v Nominal Defendant [2005] NSWCA 180 McNeilly v Imbree [2007] NSWCA 156; (2007) 47 MVR 536 Mead v Kerney [2012] NSWCA 215 Miller v Miller [2011] HCA 9; (2011) 242 CLR 446 Moran v McMahon (1985) 3 NSWLR 700 Nettleship v Weston [1971] 2 QB 691; [1971] 3 All ER 581 Nominal Defendant v Green & Ors [2013] NSWCA 219 Paul v Cooke [2013] NSWCA 311; (2013) 85 NSWLR 167 Planet Fisheries Pty Ltd v La Rosa [1968] HCA 62; (1968) 119 CLR 118 RACQ Insurance Ltd v Motor Accidents Authority of NSW (No 2) [2014] NSWSC 1126 Reece v Reece [1994] NSWCA 259; (1994) 19 MVR 103 Schultz v McCormack [2015] NSWCA 330 Smith v Jenkins [1970] HCA 2; (1970) 119 CLR 397 Thatcher v Charles [1961] HCA 5; (1961) 104 CLR 57 Varga v Galea [2011] NSWCA 76 Waratah Engineering Pty Ltd v Baggs [2013] NSWCA 427 Wyong Shire Council v Vairy [2004] NSWCA 247; Zanner v Zanner [2010] NSWCA 343 Zlojutro v GIO (NSW) (NSWCA, unreported, 11 August 1995, 40569/89) Category: Principal judgment Parties: Buck Anthony Cooper (Plaintiff) The Nominal Defendant (Defendant) Representation: Counsel: Mr A J Stone SC with Ms S Warren (Plaintiff) Mr R Stitt QC with Mr B Wilson (Defendant)