Salih v Emirates (No 2) [2019] NSWDC 715

District Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Salih v Emirates (No 2) [2019] NSWDC 715 Hearing dates: 1-4 October 2019; 8 November 2019 Date of orders: 27 November 2019 Decision date: 27 November 2019 Jurisdiction: Civil Before: Dicker SC DCJ Decision: (1) Judgment for the defendant. (2) The plaintiff is to pay the defendant's costs as agreed or assessed. (3) Any application to vary the costs order in (2) above should be made within 14 days. (4) Exhibits to be returned in 28 days. Catchwords: Aviation law – personal injury to plaintiff – claim by defendant of contributory negligence of plaintiff – whether an "accident" to the plaintiff within the Montreal Convention 1999 - whether injury to plaintiff extended beyond injury to right thumb to injuries to right wrist and arm and right shoulder – whether plaintiff entitled to commercial domestic assistance – amount of buffer to be awarded, if any, for loss of future earning capacity. Legislation Cited: Civil Aviation (Carriers Liability) Act 1959 (Cth) Civil Liability Act 2002 (NSW) Civil Liability (Non-Economic Loss) Amendment Order 2019 Montréal Convention 1999 Warsaw Convention 1929 Cases Cited: Air France v Saks (1985) 470 US 392 Allianz Australia Insurance Ltd v Kerr [2012] NSWCA 13 Di Falco v Emirates (No 2) [2019] VSC 654 Dibbs v Emirates [2015] NSWSC 1332 Graham v Baker (1961) 106 CLR 340 Gulic v Angelovski [2018] NSWCA 161 Kotsambasis v Singapore Airlines Ltd (1997) 42 NSWLR 110 Lloyd v Thornbury [2019] NSWCA 154 Metro North Hospital and Health Service v Pierce [2018] NSWCA 11 Miller v Galderisi [2009] NSWCA 353 Paff v Speed (1961) 105 CLR 549 Pel-Air Aviation Pty Ltd v Casey [2017] NSWCA 32 Penrith City Council v Parkes [2004] NSWCA 201 Povey v Qantas Airways Ltd (2005) 223 CLR 189 Redding v Lee (1983) 151 CLR 117 Singapore Airlines Cargo Pte Ltd v Principle International Pty Ltd [2017] NSWCA 216 Smith v Alone [2017] NSWCA 287 South West Helicopters Pty Ltd v Stephenson [2017] NSWCA 312 Sretenovic v Reed [2009] NSWCA 280 Strong v Woolworths Ltd [2012] HCA 5; (2012) 246 CLR 182 at [18] Wahba v Caroll & O'Dea Lawyers [2018] NSWDC 128 Wallace v Kam [2013] HCA 19; (2013) 250 CLR 375 Texts Cited: Luntz, Assessment of Damages for Personal Injury and Death, 4th Edition, Butterworths, 2002 Category: Principal judgment Parties: Gul Salih (Plaintiff) Emirates (Defendant) Representation: Counsel: C Stewart (Plaintiff) D Stanton (Defendant)