Foong v Ghaly; Foong v McLellan [2017] NSWDC 303

District Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Foong v Ghaly; Foong v McLellan [2017] NSWDC 303 Hearing dates: 11, 12, 13, 14 September 2017 and 24 October 2017 Date of orders: 03 November 2017 Decision date: 03 November 2017 Jurisdiction: Civil Before: Gibson DCJ Decision: (1) Judgment for the plaintiff in proceedings 2014/115934 for $1,250. (2) Judgment for the plaintiff in proceedings 2014/200147 for $1,250. (3) Costs reserved with liberty to apply. Catchwords: TORT – personal injury – assessment of damages – plaintiff claims $20 million for injuries following two motor vehicle accidents – substantial attack on plaintiff's credit as to whether the plaintiff suffered any injury at all – tender of surveillance and social media records inconsistent with plaintiff's account of disabilities and activities – whether social media posts by a party may be admitted into evidence - nominal awards for past economic loss and out of pocket expenses Legislation Cited: Civil Liability Act 2002 (NSW), s 31 Evidence Act 2005 (NSW), s 135 Motor Accidents Compensation Act 1999 (NSW), s 141B Property, Stock and Business Agents Act 2002 (NSW), ss 195 and 198 Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005 (NSW), rr 31.10 and 42.35 Cases Cited: Abou Antoun v Chidiac [2017] NSWDC 208 Boral Bricks Pty Ltd v Cosmidis [2013] NSWCA 443 Cachia v Hanes [1994] HCA 14 Davies v Nilsen [2016] VSC 557 Miller v Galderisi [2009] NSWCA 353 Palavi v Queensland Newspapers Pty Ltd (2012) 84 NSWLR 523 Palavi v Radio 2UE Pty Ltd [2011] NSWCA 264 Thornton v Telegraph Media Group Ltd [2011] EWHC 1884 (QB) Texts Cited: Sir Richard Eggleston QC, "Evidence, proof and probability" (1st Ed., Weidenfeld and Nicolson, London, 1978) Category: Principal judgment Parties: Plaintiff: Yena Foong Defendant (in 2014/115934): Osama Wadea Ghaly Defendant (in 2014/200147): Diane Frances McLellan Representation: Counsel: Defendants: Mr W Fitzsimmons