LAW1113 Lecture Notes - Lecture 5: Liability Insurance, Res Judicata, Child Protection
LAW1113&TORTS&-&CASE&SUMMARIES&AND&KEY&POINTS&
NEGLIGENCE&–&DUTY&OF&CARE!
&
3&TYPES&OF&SITUATIONS:&
• Settled!law!that!a!duty!of!care!exists!(e.g.!doctor!owing!patient!(duty!of!care!during!the!course!of!the!
medical!treatment);!motorists!have!duty!of!care!to!one!another!when!driving!on!the!road!in!context!of!
own!behaviour!as!a!driver!(no!concentration))!
• Settled!law!that!a!duty!of!care!does!not!exist!()!
• No!settled!law!on!whether!a!duty!of!care!exists!or!does!not!exist!–!general!and!particular!duty!situations!
&
DUTY&OF&CARE&IN&GENERAL&ARE&NOT&IN&THE&WRONGS'ACT&
• Doctors!
• Motor!vehicle!users!
• !Advocate’s!immunity:!Cannot!be!liable!in!relation!to!carelessness!in!specific!context!
• General!duty!scenario!
• Special!duty!scenarios!!
Section&
Explanation&
s&43,&Wrongs'Act'1958&
Negligence!means!failure!to!exercise!reasonable!care!
Reasonable&care&
&
1. Burden!of!Duty:!Below!care!as!established!by!the!
law!
2. Causation!test!rather!than!Duty!test!
!
Case&
Details&
Donoghue'v'Stevenson&
Ø Use:!General!Principle!
Ø Test:&“You!must!take!reasonable!care!to!avoid!acts!or!omissions!which!you!can!reasonably*foresee!would!
be!likely!to!injure!your!neighbour.!Who,!then,!in!law!is!my!neighbour?!The!answer!seems!to!be!-!!the!
persons!who!are!so!closely!and!directly!affected!by!my!act!that!I!ought!reasonably!to!have!them!in!
contemplation!as!being!so!affected!when!I!am!directing!my!mind!to!the!acts!or!omissions!which!are!
called!into!question”!!(at!580,!Lord!Atkin)!
Ø Established&negligence,&duty&of&care,&confirms&there&is&no&fixed&categories&for&duty&of&care!
o Nervous!shock:!Mental!harm!
o Reasonable!foreseeability!test!
o Proximity!test!rejected!!
o Salient!features!test!
Minister'Administering'the'Environmental'Planning'and'
Assessment'Act'1979'v'San'Sebastian'Pty'Ltd'(Glass&JA)&
Ø Use:'Reasonable!foreseeability!of!harm&
Ø Test:'“It!must!be!reasonably!foreseeable!to!a!
reasonable!person!in!the!position!of!the!D!that!
careless!conduct!of!any!kind!on!the!part!of!the!D!may!
result!in!damage!of!some!kind!to!the!P!or!to!a!class!of!
persons!to!which!the!P!belongs”!
! ! ! !–!Chapman!v!Hearse!
Generalised&in&2&ways:&
&
• D!is!building,!if!careless!construction!causes!
injury!could!they!injure!people!who!use!the!
building?!!Yes!
• D!forgot!to!put!support!on!the!wall,!is!it!
foreseeable!that!people!will!be!injured?!Yes!
!
*Note:!Sometimes!a!DOC!is!not!owed!
Chapman'v'Hearse'
Ø Use:'Extent!of!harm!that!needs!to!be!foreseen&
Ø Test:&Whether!a!consequence!of!the!same!general!
character!as!what!occurred!is!reasonably!
foreseeable?&
Ø Considerations:&
Ø Don’t!need!to!foresee!the!‘precise!sequence!of!
Facts&
• Chapman!(D)!collided!to!another!car!in!front!
of!him!
• Dr!Cherry!tries!to!render!aid!and!Hearse!(P)!
negligently!kills!Cherry!(X)!
• Pi!s!sued!for!wrongfully!causing!death!
• P!brings!a!claim!against!Chapman!!
Document Summary
Settled law that a duty of care does not exist (: no settled law on whether a duty of care exists or does not exist general and particular duty situations. Duty of care in general are not in the wrongs act: doctors, motor vehicle users, general duty scenario. Advocate"s immunity: cannot be liable in relation to carelessness in specific context. Reasonable care: burden of duty: below care as established by the law, causation test rather than duty test. Test: you must take reasonable care to avoid acts or omissions which you can reasonably foresee would be likely to injure your neighbour. Established negligence, duty of care, confirms there is no fixed categories for duty of care: nervous shock: mental harm, reasonable foreseeability test, proximity test rejected, salient features test. Assessment act 1979 v san sebastian pty ltd (glass ja) Use: extent of harm that needs to be foreseen. Don"t need to foresee the precise sequence of.
