D’Ament v Allianz Australia Insurance Ltd [2019] NSWCA 201

Court of Appeal Supreme Court New South Wales Medium Neutral Citation: D'Ament v Allianz Australia Insurance Ltd [2019] NSWCA 201 Hearing dates: 10 May 2019 Decision date: 16 August 2019 Before: Macfarlan JA at [1]; Leeming JA at [2]; Simpson AJA at [3] Decision: (1) Appeal dismissed. (2) Appellant to pay the costs of the appeal. Catchwords: ADMINISTRATIVE LAW – Motor Accidents Compensation Act 1999 (NSW) medical review panel – assessment of degree of permanent impairment – application for judicial review – whether jurisdictional error – whether failure to address an argument properly before review panel – whether denial of procedural fairness – whether review panel directed attention to wrong question – whether error of law on the face of the record – whether review panel's assessment based on findings of fact for which there was no evidence – scope of error of law on the face of the record Legislation Cited: Motor Accidents Compensation Act 1999 (NSW), ss 44, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 65, 131 Supreme Court Act 1970 (NSW), s 69 Cases Cited: AAI Ltd trading as GIO as agent for the Nominal Defendant v McGiffen [2016] NSWCA 229; (2016) 77 MVR 348 Craig v The State of South Australia (1995) 184 CLR 163; [1995] HCA 58 Dranichnikov v Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs [2003] HCA 26; (2003) 77 ALJR 1088 Geftlic v Merhi [2011] NSWCA 241 Kostas v HIA Insurance Services Pty Ltd (2010) 241 CLR 390; [2010] HCA 32 Nguyen v Motor Accidents Authority of New South Wales [2011] NSWSC 351; (2011) 58 MVR 296 Re Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs; Ex parte Miah (2001) 206 CLR 57; [2001] HCA 22 Rodger v De Gelder (2011) 80 NSWLR 594; [2011] NSWCA 97 Rodger v De Gelder [2015] NSWCA 211; (2015) 71 MVR 514 Wende v Horwath (NSW) Pty Ltd (2014) 86 NSWLR 674; [2014] NSWCA 170 Texts Cited: Permanent Impairment Guidelines 2007 (NSW), cl 1.36 American Medical Association Guides to the Evaluation of Permanent Impairment, Fourth Edition, Third Printing (1995) Category: Principal judgment Parties: Genevieve Katherine D'Ament (Appellant) Allianz Australia Insurance Ltd (First Respondent) State Insurance Regulatory Authority (Second Respondent) Medical Review Panel of the Medical Assessment Service (Third Respondent) Representation: Counsel:R Sheldon SC/B Tzatzagos (Appellant) K Rewell SC (First Respondent) Submitting appearance (Second and Third Respondents)