Northern Sydney Local Health District v Amaca Pty Ltd (under NSW administered winding up) [2017] NSWCA 251

Court of Appeal Supreme Court New South Wales Medium Neutral Citation: Northern Sydney Local Health District v Amaca Pty Ltd (under NSW administered winding up) [2017] NSWCA 251 Hearing dates: 22 September 2017 Date of orders: 22 September 2017 Decision date: 10 October 2017 Before: McColl JA at [1]; Basten JA at [41]; Sackville AJA at [84] Decision: (1) Appeal dismissed.

(2) Order that the Appellants pay the costs of the first respondent.

(3) No order as to the costs of the second respondent. Catchwords: DUST DISEASES – damages – apportionment between joint tortfeasors – Law Reform (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1946 (NSW), s 5 – injured worker previously received statutory workers' compensation payment – insurer entitled to first charge on recovered damages under Workers' Compensation and Rehabilitation Act 2003 (Qld), s 207B – whether primary tortfeasor entitled to recover contributions from joint tortfeasors in circumstances where insurer entered into agreement with injured worker to pay worker 20% of amount recovered from primary tortfeasor

WORDS AND PHRASES – "double compensation" – whether agreement between injured worker and insurer whereby insurer pays worker 20% of damages recovered from tortfeasor constitutes double compensation in circumstances where worker had received statutory compensation payment

WORKERS COMPENSATION – whether agreement that insurer pay worker 20% of recovered damages valid in circumstances where worker had received statutory compensation payment – whether insurer permitted to waive its right to enforce statutory charge on recovered damages under Workers' Compensation and Rehabilitation Act 2003 (Qld), s 207B Legislation Cited: Dust Diseases Tribunal Act 1989 (NSW), s 32 Dust Diseases Tribunal Regulation 2013 (NSW), Pt 4, Div 5 Law Reform (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1946 (NSW), s 5 Workers Compensation Act 1926 (NSW), s 16 Workers' Compensation and Rehabilitation Act 2003 (Qld), ss 128E, 207A, 207B; Ch 3A Cases Cited: Adams v Ascot Iron Foundry Pty Ltd (1968) 72 SR (NSW) 120 Batchelor v Burke (1981) 148 CLR 448; [1981] HCA 30 Baxter v Obacelo Pty Ltd (2001) 205 CLR 635; [2001] HCA 66 Bitumen & Oil Refineries (Australia) Ltd v Commissioner for Government Transport (1955) 92 CLR 200; [1955] HCA 1 Boncristiano v Lohmann [1998] 4 VR 82 Dionisatos v Acrow Formwork & Scaffolding Pty Ltd (2015) 91 NSWLR 34; [2015] NSWCA 281 Haines v Bendall (1991) 172 CLR 60; [1991] HCA 15 Jameson v Central Electricity Generating Board [1998] QB 323 Jameson v Central Electricity Generating Board [2000] 1 AC 455 Manser v Spry (1994) 181 CLR 428; [1994] HCA 50 National Insurance Co of New Zealand Ltd v Espagne (1961) 105 CLR 569; [1961] HCA 15 Parry v Cleaver [1970] AC 1 Redding v Lee (1983) 151 CLR 117; [1983] HCA 16 SAS Trustee Corp v Budd [2005] NSWCA 366; (2005) 3 DDCR 382 Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd v Lindley [2010] NSWCA 357 United Airlines Inc v Sercel Australia Pty Ltd [2012] NSWCA 24; 260 FLR 37 WorkCover Queensland v Amaca Pty Ltd (2010) 241 CLR 420; [2010] HCA 34 WorkCover Queensland v Seltsam Pty Ltd (2001) 53 NSWLR 518; [2001] NSWCA 457 Category: Principal judgment Parties: Northern Sydney Local Health District (First Appellant) Hunter and New England Local Health District (Second Appellant) Amaca Pty Ltd (First Respondent) WorkCover Queensland (Second Respondent) Representation: Counsel: D Miller SC with M J Smith (Appellants) J Sheller (First Respondent) R Cavanagh SC (Second Respondent)