Daily Insurance: Tuesday, 21 April 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)
Luo v Zhai (FCA) - contract - breach of share acquisition agreement - damages
State of New South Wales v Shaw (NSWCA) - contract - no term of mutual trust and confidence or duty of good faith implied in employment contracts - appeal allowed
Benton v QBE Workers Compensation (NSW) Ltd (NSWCA) - summary dismissal - workers compensation - abuse of process - leave to appeal refused
Vincent v Woolworths Ltd and Vincent v Counterpoint Marketing & Sales Pty Ltd (NSWSC) - negligence - work injury damages - collision with trolley at supermarket - neither occupier nor employer liable
Raviolos v Sydney Local Health District (NSWSC) - pleadings - medical negligence - defendant not entitled to particulars of amended statement of claim
Summaries With Link (Five Minute Read)
Luo v Zhai [2015] FCA 350
Federal Court of Australia
Perram J
Contract - restitution - consumer law - proceedings arising from share acquisition agreement - first respondent’s company imported office chairs and sold them wholesale - applicant agreed to buy a 40% stake in company from first respondent for amount - agreement also contemplated stake would be lifted to 55%  - applicant paid amount but did not receive any shares - applicant paid further amount to company to assist with its expenses - first respondent obliged to transfer shares to applicant by 30/6/12 but did not do so - applicant sued for return of money - held: first respondent breached contract - there was total failure of consideration but there could not be double recovery - first respondent did not engage in misleading or deceptive conduct - judgment for applicant.
Luo
State of New South Wales v Shaw [2015] NSWCA 97
Court of Appeal of New South Wales
Beazley P; Ward & Gleeson JJA
Contract - respondents appointed as probationary teachers assigned to school - NSW deemed to be employer under s42 Teaching Services Act 1980 (NSW) - respondents’ probationary appointments annulled pursuant to s48(2) - determination made pursuant to s48(4) that they ceased to be employed by NSW Education Teaching Service - respondents claimed damages against NSW for breach of employment contracts - primary judge found NSW breached term of mutual trust and confidence implied into the contracts of employment but awarded no damages - primary judge rejected appellants’ claim contracts were repudiated and found that even if they were repudiated,  respondents’ conduct was inconsistent with acceptance of repudiation - primary judge awarded costs in respondents’ favour - parties appealed and cross-appealed - held: no term of mutual trust and confidence or duty of good faith  implied into contracts - primary judge erred in finding provisions of Teacher’s Handbook incorporated into contracts - appeal allowed - cross-appeal dismissed.
Shaw
Benton v QBE Workers Compensation (NSW) Ltd [2015] NSWCA 101
Court of Appeal of New South Wales
Meagher & Ward JJA; Adamson J
Workers compensation - worker sued former employer’s workers’ compensation insurer for damages for injuries in slip and fall while attempting to alight from cabin of prime mover - District Court summarily dismissed claim on basis proceedings were abuse of process because worker was seeking to re-litigate matters conclusively determined against him in previous proceedings he brought against truck owner - held: no error in House v The King sense in exercise of primary judge’s discretion to summarily dismiss proceedings - appellate intervention not warranted - no error in primary judge’s conclusion proceedings were abuse of process - any appeal on that basis bound to fail - leave to appeal refused
Benton
Vincent v Woolworths Ltd and Vincent v Counterpoint Marketing & Sales Pty Ltd [2015] NSWSC 435
Supreme Court of New South Wales
Campbell J
Negligence - work injury damages - plaintiff part-time merchandiser sued Woolworths and employer in separate proceedings for injuries suffered in course of employment in collision with trolley at supermarket -  Woolworths and employer cross-claimed against the other -  5B Civil Liability Act 2002 (NSW) - held: no breach of duty of care by Woolworths as occupier - collision occurred because neither customer or plaintiff looked where they were going as ordinary care usually required - employer not negligent - plaintiff’s accident resulted from failure of her and customer to see each other - judgment for defendants.
Vincent
Raviolos v Sydney Local Health District [2015] NSWSC 439
Supreme Court of New South Wales
Harrison J
Pleadings - medical negligence - plaintiff claimed defendant breached duty of care to him by failing to follow up on his condition to exclude existence of lung cancer or to diagnose it - defendant sought particulars of amended statement of claim concerning plaintiff’s employment history - plaintiff objected to providing particulars on basis they were not relevant to current issue in proceedings - held: in the circumstances it was irrelevant whether malignancy was result of work related exposure to asbestos or cigarette smoking or other possible cause or causes - defendant not entitled to particulars sought - application dismissed.
Raviolos