Daily Insurance: Friday, 1 April 2016
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AR Conolly Company Lawyers.
A daily Bulletin listing our choice of Decisions of Superior Courts of Australia.

Daily Insurance

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Executive Summary (One Minute Read)
Serrao by his Tutor Serrao v Cornelius (NSWCA) - negligence - pedestrian struck by motor vehicle from behind in darkness after midnight - pedestrian and driver both intoxicated - respondent's breach of duty did not cause appellant's injuries - cross-appeal allowed
Kyle Bay Removals Pty Ltd v Dynabuild Project Services Pty Ltd (NSWSC) - security of payments - application to set aside adjudicator's determination on basis there was no “payment claim” refused - statutory demand not set aside
Metricon Qld Pty Ltd v Chief Commissioner of State Revenue (No. 2) (NSWSC) - land tax - primary production exemption - comparison of primary production with other uses - land tax assessments set aside - one assessment upheld
Tanious v Dedousis (No 3) (NSWSC) - pleadings - negligence - leave to file further amended statement of claim refused
Hettiarachci v RACV (VSC) - accident compensation - Magistrate's reasons inadequate - erroneous finding of no medical material to support claim - appeal allowed
Spaleta v ANH Nominees Pty Ltd (VSC) - summary judgment - no prospects of success in relation to claim commenced under Wrongs Act 1958 (Vic) - summary judgment granted
Ziverts v City of Albany (WASC) - discovery - legal professional privilege - inspection of certain documents ordered - claim for privilege otherwise upheld
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Dr Anton Hughes on Patents and Software with Ian Benson
Software patents have become very common because of the ubiquity of computers, the size of the market which means there is substantial money in patents, and the fact that software is infinitely malleable.
Summaries With Link (Five Minute Read)
Serrao by his Tutor Serrao v Cornelius [2016] NSWCA 60
Court of Appeal of New South Wales
Leeming JA; Sackville & Emmett AJJA
Negligence - motor vehicle accident - appellant walking on road struck from behind by a car driven by respondent - accident occurred in darkness after midnight - parties both affected by alcohol - primary judge found respondent negligent and reduced damages by 40% for contributory negligence - appellant contended primary judge should not have found appellant contributorily negligent and that in any case damages for contributory negligence should be reduced - respondent challenged finding she breached duty of care and finding that breach caused injuries - ss3B(2)(a), 5B, 5D & 5E Civil Liability Act 2002 (NSW) - ss7A & 7B Motor Accidents Compensation Act 1999 (NSW) - sch 1 Road Transport Legislation (Repeal and Amendment) Act 2013 (NSW) - s9 Road Transport (Safety and Traffic Management) Act 1999 (NSW) - held: primary judge's finding that appellant, immediately before accident, was not on the bitumen surface of road but on gravel verge could not stand - primary judge's conclusion that respondent's breach caused appellant's injuries relied on this finding and must therefore be set aside - cross-appeal allowed - parties be given opportunity to make submissions on “blameless accident “ case put by appellant in alternative.
Serrao
Kyle Bay Removals Pty Ltd v Dynabuild Project Services Pty Ltd [2016] NSWSC 334
Supreme Court of New South Wales
Meagher JA
Security of payments - plaintiff sought to set aside adjudicator's determination that it owed amount to defendant on basis that there was no “payment claim” in accordance with s13(2) Building and Construction Industry Security of Payment Act 1999 (NSW) - plaintiff also sought to set aside statutory demand made by defendant - ss5, 8, 9, 13, 14, 15, 17 & 24 Security of Payments Act - ss459E, 459F & 459G Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) - s69 Supreme Court Act 1970 (NSW) - held: defendant did not make binding election to pursue a course in 15(2)(a) Security of Payments Act - claims were in respect of different reference dates and did not contravene s13(5) Security of Payments Act - no contravention of s13(8) - statutory demand not set aside - amended summons dismissed.
Kyle Bay
Metricon Qld Pty Ltd v Chief Commissioner of State Revenue (No. 2) [2016] NSWSC 332
Supreme Court of New South Wales
White J
Land tax - plaintiff property developer sought review of Commissioner of State Revenue's decision to issue land tax assessments - whether plaintiff entitled to exemptions for land tax under s10AA(2) Land Tax Management Act 1956 (NSW) on basis lands used for primary production which was dominant use - held: Court concluded comparison of primary production with other uses not confined to comparison with other physical uses - holding of lands as part of stock in trade not a current use - consultants' work was connected with current commercial land development use to extent land physically used in carrying out activities to obtain approval land tax assessments set aside - one assessment upheld - counsel for plaintiff to bring in short minutes of order.
Metricon
Tanious v Dedousis (No 3) [2016] NSWSC 339
Supreme Court of New South Wales
Wilson J
Pleadings - negligence - self-represented litigant - plaintiff sought leave to file further amended statement of claim against defendants who opposed grant of leave - held: plaintiff had failed to comply with orders of Court of Appeal in relation to pleading claim - further amended statement of claim was in same terms as claim which Court of Appeal struck out - proper medical evidence to establish legitimate cause of action not obtained - leave to file further amended statement of claim.
Tanious
Hettiarachci v RACV [2016] VSC 97
Supreme Court of Victoria
J Forrest J
Accident compensation - appellant lost claim for compensation under Accident Compensation Act 1985 (Vic) - appellant appealed against Magistrate's decision concerning stress and anxiety claim arising out of employment - appellant contended Magistrate's reasons did not address his account of symptoms - appellant contended in the alternative that Magistrate specifically erred in finding there was no medical material to support work stress and anxiety - ss82 & 93 - held: Magistrate's reasons were inadequate - finding of no medical material erroneous - Magistrate's decision quashed - appeal allowed.
Hettircachci
Spaleta v ANH Nominees Pty Ltd [2016] VSC 104
Supreme Court of Victoria
Ierodiaconou AsJ
Summary judgment - personal injury - accident compensation - plaintiff alleged defendant owned and occupied premises - plaintiff alleged she was injured due to being exposed to toxic environment at premises - plaintiff alleged injury against defendant during three periods - defendant sought summary judgment - defendant contended claim had no real prospect of success on basis it was wrongly made under Wrongs Act 1958 (Vic) and should have been made under Accident Compensation Act 1985 (Vic) Accident Compensation Act - ss61 & 64 Civil Procedure Act 2010 (Vic) - O22 Supreme Court (General Civil Procedure) Rules 2015 (Vic) - whether plaintiff a ‘worker' under Accident Compensation Act - held: no real prospects of success for claims in relation to any of the three periods - summary judgment granted.
Spaleta
Ziverts v City of Albany [2016] WASC 94
Supreme Court of Western Australia
Beech J
Discovery - legal professional privilege - plaintiff sued defendant in nuisance and negligence - plaintiff claimed defendant's acts and omissions caused flooding and damage to her land - plaintiff disputed defendant's claims of legal professional privilege - O26, r4 & O26 r12 Rules of the Supreme Court 1971 (WA) - held: Court ordered inspection of certain documents and otherwise upheld claim to privilege.
Ziverts
Poem for Friday (Recitation here by Thomas Hellier)
A Shropshire Lad: 52: Far in a western brookland
BY A. E. HOUSMAN

Far in a western brookland
That bred me long ago
The poplars stand and tremble
By pools I used to know.
There, in the windless night-time,
The wanderer, marvelling why,
Halts on the bridge to hearken
How soft the poplars sigh.
He hears: long since forgotten
In fields where I was known,
Here I lie down in London
And turn to rest alone.
There, by the starlit fences,
The wanderer halts and hears
My soul that lingers sighing
About the glimmering weirs.

A. E. HOUSMAN