Insurance Australia Ltd t/as NRMA Insurance v O’Rourke [2017] NSWSC 494

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Insurance Australia Ltd t/as NRMA Insurance v O'Rourke [2017] NSWSC 494 Hearing dates: 21 April 2017 Date of orders: 05 May 2017 Decision date: 05 May 2017 Jurisdiction: Common Law Before: Davies J Decision: (1) Summons dismissed.

(2) The Plaintiff is to pay the First Defendant's costs. Catchwords: ADMINISTRATIVE LAW – judicial review – grounds of review – assessment conference under Motor Accidents Compensation Act 1999 – assessment of residual earning capacity – claimant asserted no capacity – claimant in receipt of carer's allowance for care of elderly mother – whether payment of allowance showed residual earning capacity – direction sought by insurer after assessment conference for authority to claimant to obtain application for carer's allowance – assessor did not respond to request – finding of no residual earning capacity – evidence to support finding - whether procedural fairness denied – whether assessor constructively failed to exercise jurisdiction – whether practical injustice where carer's allowance required to be repaid to Centrelink in any event – summons by insurer dismissed Legislation Cited: Civil Procedure Act 2005 (NSW) Motor Accidents Compensation Act 1999 (NSW) Social Security Act 1991 (Cth) Cases Cited: AAMI Ltd v Ali [2012] NSWSC 969 Australian Broadcasting Tribunal v Bond (1990) 170 CLR 321 Dranichnikov v Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs [2003] HCA 26; (2003) 77 ALJR 1088 El-Helou v Smith [2009] NSWSC 741 Ex parte Hebburn Ltd; Re Kearsley Shire Council (1947) 47 SR (NSW) 416 Graham v Baker (1961) 106 CLR 340 Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs v Yusuf (2001) 206 CLR 323; [2001] HCA 30 Mitrovic v Motor Accidents Authority of New South Wales [2012] NSWSC 1231 National Insurance Co. of New Zealand Ltd v Espagne (1961) 105 CLR 569; [1961] HCA 15 Re Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs; Ex parte Miah (2001) 206 CLR 57; [2001] HCA 22 Redding v Lee (1983) 151 CLR 117 R L & D Investments Pty Limited v Bisby [2002] NSWSC 1082 Rodger v De Gelder [2015] NSWCA 211 Category: Principal judgment Parties: Insurance Australia Ltd t/as NRMA Insurance (Plaintiff) Kerrie O'Rourke (First Defendant) Elyse White, Claims Assessor (Second Defendant) State Insurance Regulatory Authority (Third Defendant) Representation: Counsel: M Robinson SC & J Gumbert (Plaintiff) E Romaniuk & M Gilbert (First Defendant) Submitting appearances (Second and Third Defendants)