MLL213 Study Guide - Final Guide: Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Psych, Cerebos
24 May 2018
School
Department
Course
Professor
9B Mental Harm
RECOVERY
P can only recover for economic loss for mental harm if the harm is a recognised psychiatric
injury: s 75
- Eg. Depression, PTSD, phobias
Responses like fear, shock or sorrow will not suffice
Only recover non-economic loss if the impairment resulting from the psychiatric injury is
10% or more: s 28LE
- Noral grieig proess usually ill ot aout to a reogised ijury
PURE MENTAL HARM
DEFINTION:
- Pure mental harm means mental harm other than consequential mental harm: s 67
Wrongs Act
o Not consequential upon physical injury
- Recovery for pure mental harm governed by s 72 and 73 Wrongs Act
COMMON LAW:
• Laid down a number of requirements:
• Noral fortitude
• Sudde shok
• Perception with own eyes of accident or aftermath
• Designed to prevent multitude of claims
Chester v Waverly Municipal Council (1939) HCA 25:
- Psyhiatri ijury suffered y other ho sa hilds dead body said to be too remote
-
Jaensch v Coffey (1984) HCA 52:
- Laid down a number of requirements:
- Noral fortitude
- Sudde shok
- Perception with own eyes of accident or aftermath. Designed to prevent multitude of claims
- S 72: could d foresee that a spouse would suffer psych harm: yes (relationship)
Tame v State of New South Wales; Annetts v Australian Stations Pty Ltd (2002) HCA 35:
- Majority: Noral fortitude, sudde shok or diret pereptio of eet or afterath relevant
but not necessary requirements
o Might also be relevant to causation and remoteness
- Other important factors:
o Pre-existing relationship between P and D
- Close relationship between P and victim; McHugh J: normal fortitude a condition of recovery
- S 72: could D foresee that P would suffer psych harm? Yes (mother & son relationship)
- S 7: satisfied? Yes. Ps ere parets of the iti s 7
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Originally sceptical about claims. Later allowed claims to specific classes of plaintiffs, eg
rescuers.
- Must be considered before addressing limitation on recovering damages in s 73
- S 72 requires that D could foresee a person of normal fortitude might suffer
psychiatric harm
- Does not specify the consequences of presence or absence of any or all factors
- Treatig shok ad pereptio as releat osideratios ut ot pre oditios is
consistent
o No need for singular shocking event
- S 72 factors not exclusive
- Shok? Wiks S‘A = a sudde ad disturig ipressio o the id or feeligs
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
P can only recover for economic loss for mental harm if the harm is a recognised psychiatric injury: s 75. Responses like fear, shock or sorrow will not suffice. Only recover non-economic loss if the impairment resulting from the psychiatric injury is. Nor(cid:373)al (cid:858)grie(cid:448)i(cid:374)g(cid:859) pro(cid:272)ess usually (cid:449)ill (cid:374)ot a(cid:373)ou(cid:374)t to a re(cid:272)og(cid:374)ised i(cid:374)jury. Pure mental harm means mental harm other than consequential mental harm: s 67. Wrongs act: not consequential upon physical injury. Recovery for pure mental harm governed by s 72 and 73 wrongs act. Chester v waverly municipal council (1939) hca 25: Psy(cid:272)hiatri(cid:272) i(cid:374)jury suffered (cid:271)y (cid:373)other (cid:449)ho sa(cid:449) (cid:272)hild(cid:859)s dead body said to be too remote. Laid down a number of requirements: (cid:858)nor(cid:373)al fortitude(cid:859) (cid:858)sudde(cid:374) sho(cid:272)k(cid:859: perception with own eyes of accident or aftermath, designed to prevent multitude of claims. Laid down a number of requirements: (cid:858)nor(cid:373)al fortitude(cid:859) (cid:858)sudde(cid:374) sho(cid:272)k(cid:859) Perception with own eyes of accident or aftermath.
