Insurance Thursday, 19 March 2015 View in browser

A daily Bulletin listing our choice of Decisions of Superior Courts of Australia.
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Executive Summary (One Minute Read)
McIntyre v Fish (VSC) - judicial review - adequate reasons for opinion of medical panel - judicial review refused 
Wong v Maroubra Automotive Refinishers Pty Ltd; Ayres v Maroubra Automotive Refinishers Pty Ltd (No 2) (NSWSC) - detinue - repairer not entitled to withhold possession of cars until payment of towing and storage fees - damages 
122 Pitt Street Pty Ltd ACN 104 825 961 v Universal 1919 Pty Ltd (NSWSC) - landlord and tenant - independent valuer complied with lease - parties bound by valuation 
Idameneo (No 123) Pty Ltd v Suszko (SASC) - pleadings - dismissal of application to amend defence and plead set-off and counterclaim - fresh evidence not admitted - recall of order refused 
Summaries With Link (Five Minute Read)
McIntyre v Fish [2015] VSC 82
Supreme Court of Victoria
Zammit J
Judicial review - plaintiff sought review of opinion of medical panel concerning injury suffered during course of her employment - medical panel found plaintiff suffering from condition not relevant to claimed injury and that plaintiff had no ability to return to preinjury employment - plaintiff sought to quash opinion on basis of inadequate reasons - ss65 & 68 Accident Compensation Act 1985 (Vic) - held: reasons adequately demonstrated Panel’s path of reasoning - Panel not required to embark on explanation of which medical opinions it agreed or disagreed with - judicial review refused.
McIntyre
Wong v Maroubra Automotive Refinishers Pty Ltd; Ayres v Maroubra Automotive Refinishers Pty Ltd (No 2) [2015] NSWSC 222
Supreme Court of New South Wales
McCallum J
Detinue - two separate proceedings concerning a repairer’s entitlement to withhold possession of cars until payment by owner or NRMA of towing and storage fees -  each plaintiff was owner of a car insured by NRMA  - each car damaged in accident - in each case tow truck driver nominated the premises of particular repairer as a destination to which car could be towed -  owners consented to course and did not request repairer to make repairs - plaintiffs contended repairer wrongly refused to deliver up possession of the cars upon demand and was  liable in detinue - repairer sought payment of disputed towing and storage fees from each plaintiff or NRMA - s53 Fair Trading Act 1987 (NSW) - s62 Tow Truck Industry Act 1998 (NSW) - held: no contract of bailment for reward or work and labour came into existence - defendant’s reliance on Motor Vehicle Insurance and Repair Industry Code of Conduct misconceived - defence to claim in detinue failed - cross-claim dismissed - amounts paid into Court released to plaintiff.
Wong
122 Pitt Street Pty Ltd ACN 104 825 961 v Universal 1919 Pty Ltd [2015] NSWSC 234
Supreme Court of New South Wales
Kunc J
Landlord and tenant - plaintiff lessor leased part of building to defendant lessee - lease was term of 10 years with option for further 10 years - lessee exercised option - lease provided for market  review of base rent upon exercise of option to renew - lessor proposed new base rent  - lessee engaged rent dispute mechanism under lease resulting in appointment of independent valuer - valuer determined market rent approximately $500,000 less than figure proposed by lessor - if valuer complied with lease by disregarding value of fitout parties accepted they were bound by determination - held: valuer complied with lease - valuation binding on parties - summons and cross-summons dismissed
122Pitt
Idameneo (No 123) Pty Ltd v Suszko [2015] SASC 39
Supreme Court of South Australia
Stanley J
Pleadings - defendant sought recall of order dismissing application to amend defence and to plead set-off and counterclaim in reliance on “fresh” evidence - Court’s power to recall order previously made -  test for reception of fresh evidence - held: Court did not consider evidence would probably have had important influence on outcome of application - fresh evidence not admitted - application to recall order refused.
Idameneo