Butt v Liebherr Australia Pty Limited

District Court

New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation:

Butt v Liebherr Australia Pty Limited [2015] NSWDC 3

Hearing dates:

19 August 2014

Decision date:

02 February 2015

Jurisdiction:

Civil

Before:

Neilson DCJ

Decision:

Award for:

(a) $5,715.40 for 10.8% impairment of plaintiff’s neck;

(b) $7,408.80 for 7% loss of efficient use of plaintiff’s right arm at or above the elbow;

(c) $7938.00 for 10% impairment of plaintiff’s back;

(d) $11,907.00 under s 67 for pain and suffering resulting from those impairments and that loss.

Catchwords:

WORKERS COMPENSATION – Coal miners – Whether plaintiff a coal miner for the purposes of Sch 6, Pt 18 of the Workers Compensation Act 1987 – Whether plaintiff was a worker employed in or about a coal mine

Legislation Cited:

Coal Mines Regulation Act 1982
Evidence Act 1995
Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005
Workers Compensation Act 1926
Workers Compensation Act 1987
Workers Compensation (General) Regulation 1995
Workers Compensation Regulation 2003
Workers Compensation Regulation 2010

Cases Cited:

Badior v Muswellbrook Crane Service Pty Ltd (2004) 2 DDCR 177
Baggs v Waratah Engineering Pty Ltd [2014] HCA Trans 108
Brown v Barnard and Brown Pty Ltd (1998) 17 NSWCCR 275
Benson v Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway Coy [1904] 1 AC 242
Ellavale Engineering Pty Ltd v Pilgrim [2005] NSWCA 272; (2005) 2 DDCR 744
Fekonja v Lucsan Pty Ltd (1994) 10 NSWCCR 339
Fenton v ATF Mining Electrics Pty Ltd (2004) 1 DDCR 744
Maurino v Amberlor Pty Ltd (1996) 14 NSWCCR 16
Nolan v Porter and Sons (1910) 2 BWCC 106 (Eng. CA).
Pilgrim v Ellavale Engineering Pty Ltd (2003) 25 NSWCCR 521
Presland v Ellavale Engineering Pty Ltd (2005) 3 DDCR 179
Roberts v Fuchs Lubricants (Australasia) Pty Ltd (2002) 24 NSWCCR 125
Select Civil (Kiama) Pty Ltd v Kearney [2012] NSWCA 320
Smith v Brown (1998) 16 NSWCCR 492
Weaver v Tredegar Iron and Coal Coy Ltd [1940] AC 955
Waratah Engineering Pty Ltd v Baggs [2013] NSWCA 427

Texts Cited:

C P Mills, Workers Compensation New South Wales (2nd ed 1979, Butterworths)

Category:

Principal judgment

Parties:

Stanley George Butt (Plaintiff)
Liebherr Australia Pty Limited (Defendant)

Representation:

Counsel:
Mr D Benson (Plaintiff)
Mr M Newton (Defendant)

Solicitors:
Slater & Gordon (Plaintiff)
HWL Ebsworth (Defendant)

File Number(s):

RJ261/13

Judgment

Cur Adv Vult

1. By an amended statement of claim filed in court on 19 August 2014, the plaintiff claims:

(a) lump sum compensation under the Workers Compensation Act 1987, s 66, for:

(i) $6,350.40 for 12% impairment of his neck,

(ii) $10,584.00 for 10% permanent loss of efficient use of his right arm at or above the elbow, and

(iii) $7,938.00 for 10% permanent impairment of his back, and

(b) a lump sum under s 67 of that Act of $19,860.

The plaintiff relies on an injury which he received on 12 October 2010 on a journey to work on that day at the Mt Arthur open-cut coal mine near Muswellbrook. I would normally not reserve a judgment of this nature but I was…