State of NSW v Coffey

The Court of Appeal of New South Wales heard an appeal by the State of New South Wales against a judgment of the District Court. The District Court had found the State liable for psychological injury sustained by a worker, Mr. Coffey, who alleged a failure to provide a safe system of work.

The central legal issue before the Court of Appeal was whether the District Court had erred in finding the State liable for Mr. Coffey's psychological injury. This involved determining whether the State had breached its duty of care to provide a safe system of work, and if so, whether that breach had caused Mr. Coffey's injury.

The Court of Appeal allowed the appeal, setting aside the original judgment and verdict. While the appeal was allowed, the court made a minor adjustment to the quantum of damages awarded to the plaintiff, reducing it from $463,947.00 to $459,478.00. The appellant was ordered to pay the costs of both the appeal and the trial.