Palmer v Allianz Australia Workers' Compensation (NSW) Limited [2019] NSWDC 107

District Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Palmer v Allianz Australia Workers' Compensation (NSW) Limited [2019] NSWDC 107 Hearing dates: 11 – 13 March 2019 Date of orders: 04 April 2019 Decision date: 04 April 2019 Jurisdiction: Civil Before: Weber SC DCJ Decision: Parties directed to bring in Short Minutes of Order to give effect to the Court's reasons Catchwords: WORKERS' COMPENSATION – liability to pay damages – direct and vicarious liability of employer – labour hire employer - whether employer aware of change in employee's work responsibilities – whether employer acquiesced to change in employee's work responsibilities

TORTS – Negligence – Apportionment of responsibility and damages – liability of third party contractors – contribution and indemnity between tortfeasors

DAMAGES – General principles – whether contributory negligence – whether failure to mitigate loss – whether employee has residual earning capacity – quantifying vicissitudes – basis for calculating past earnings Legislation Cited: Civil Liability Act 2002 (NSW) Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) Law Reform (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1946 (NSW) Workers Compensation Act 1987 (NSW) Workplace Injury Management and Workers Compensation Act 1998 (NSW) Cases Cited: Avopiling v Bosevski [2018] NSWCA 146 Benic v State of New South Wales [2010] NSWSC 1039 Caterson v Commissioner of Railways (1973) 128 CLR 99 Coles Supermarkets Australia Pty Ltd v Bridge [2018] NSWCA 183 CSR Timber Products Pty Ltd v Weathertex Pty Ltd (2013) 83 NSWLR 433 Erickson v Bagley [2015] VSCA 220 Globe Church Incorporated v Allianz Australia Insurance Ltd [2019] NSWCA 27 Hunt v Knight Frank (NSW) Pty Ltd & 2 Ors [2005] NSWCA 139 Jones v Dunkel (1959) 101 CLR 298 Kallouf v Middis [2008] NSWCA 61 Malec v JC Hutton (1990) 169 CLR 638 Matthew Xavier Carton v Rainbow Plumbing & Drainage Pty Limited [2013] ACTSC 267 McNeilly v Imbree (2007) 47 MVR 536 Mead v Kerney [2012] NSWCA 215 Metropolitan Ambulance Service v State of Victoria [2002] VSC 222 Nominal Defendant v Livaja [2011] NSWCA 121 Penrith City Council v Government Insurance Office of New South Wales (1991) 24 NSWLR 564 Perisher Blue Pty Ltd v Nair-Smith [2015] NSWCA 90 Podrebersek v Australian Iron & Steel Pty Ltd (1985) 59 ALR 529 Port Macquarie Hastings Council v Mooney [2014] NSWCA 156 Reid v Commercial Club (Albury) Ltd [2014] NSWCA 98 Roads and Traffic Authority of NSW v Dederer (2007) 234 CLR 330 South Sydney Junior Rugby League Club Ltd v Gazis [2016] NSWCA 8 South West Helicopters Pty Ltd v Stephenson [2017] NSWCA 312; (2017) 327 FLR 110 Strong v Woolworths (2012) 246 CLR 182 TNT Australia Pty Ltd v Christie [2003] NSWCA 47 Uniting Church in Australia Property Trust (NSW) v Miller (2015) 91 NSWLR 752 Wagner v International Railway Co 232 NY 176 Texts Cited: Fleming's The Law of Torts 10th edition, by Sappideen and Vines Category: Principal judgment Parties: Gary Palmer (Plaintiff) Allianz Australia Workers' Compensation (NSW) Limited (Defendant; Cross Claimant 1) Downer EDI Works Pty Limited (Cross Defendant 1; Cross Claimant 2) Cambra Holdings Pty. Ltd (Cross Defendant 2) Representation: Counsel: Plaintiff: Mr E Romaniuk SC; Mr P Menary Defendant / Cross Claimant 1: Mr H Halligan Cross Defendant 1 / Cross Claimant 2: Mr H Chiu Cross Defendant 2: Mr D Kelly