Legislation Flashcards
Part 3 CLA
Mental Harm
ss27-33
s27
Definitions (mental harm)
- consequential mental harm means any mental harm that is a consequence of a personal injury of any other kind
- personal injury includes (a) pre-natal (b)impairment of a person’s physical or mental condition (c) disease
- pure mental harm means mental harm other than consequential mental harm
s29
29 Personal injury arising from mental or nervous shock
- In any action brought for personal injury, the plaintiff is not prevented from recovering damages merely because the personal injury arose wholly or partly from mental or nervous shock
s30
30 Limitation on recovery for pure mental harm arising from shock
s30(1)
This section applies to the liability of a person (D) for pure mental harm to a person (P) arising wholly or partly from mental or nervous shock in connection with another person (the victim) being killed, injured or put in peril by the act or omission of the defendant
s30(2)
The plaintiff is not entitled to recover damages for pure mental harm unless:
(a) the plaintiff witness, at the scene, the victim being killed, injured or put in peril, or
(b) the plaintiff is a close family member of the victim
s30(5)
close member of the family of a victim means:
(a) parent/parental responsibility for the victim
(b) spouse or partner
(c) child/stepchild/parental responsibility of victim
s32
32 Mental harm - duty of care
(1) A person does not owe a duty of care to another person to take care not to cause the plaintiff mental harm unless the defendant ought to have foreseen that a person of normal fortitude might, in the circumstances of the case, suffer a recognised psychiatric illness if reasonable care were not taken
(CIRCUMSTANCES in (2))
s32(2)
(2) for the purposes of the application of this section in respect of pure mental harm, the circumstances of the case include the following
(a) whether or not the mental harm was suffered as the result of a sudden shock
(b) whether the plaintiff witnessed, at the scene, a person being killed, injured or put in peril
(c) the nature of the relationship between the plaintiff and any person killed, injured or put in peril
(d) whether or not there was a pre-existing relationship between the plaintiff and the defendant
s32(4)
This section does not require the court to disregard what the defendant knew or ought to have known about the fortitude of the plaintiff
s33
33 Liability for economic loss for consequential mental harm
- A court cannot make an award of damages for economic loss for consequential mental harm resulting from negligence unless the harm consists of a recognised psychiatric illness
Part 8 CLA
Good samaritans
ss55-58
s56
56 Who is a good samaritan
- For the purposes of this Part, a good samaritan is a person who, in good faith and without expectation of payments or other reward, comes to the assistance of a person who is apparently injured or at risk of being injured
s57
57 Protection of good samaritans
(1) A good samaritan does not incur any personal civil liability in respect of any act or omission done by the good samaritan in an emergency when assisting a person who is apparently injured or at risk of being injured
(2) This section does not affect the vicarious liability of any other person for the acts or omissions of the good samaritan
s58
58 Exclusion from protection
s58(1)
(1) The protection from personal liability conferred by this part does not apply if it is the good samaritan’s intentional or negligent act or omission that caused the injury or risk of injury in respect of which the good samaritan comes to the assistance of the person
s58(2)
(2) The protection of personal liability conferred by this part in respect of an act or omission does not apply if:
(a) the ability of the good samaritan to exercise reasonable care and skill was significantly impaired by reason of the good samaritan being under the influence of alcohol or a drug voluntarily consumed (whether or not for mediation), and
(b) the good samaritan failed to exercise reasonable care and skill in connection with the act or omission
s58(3) (paraphrased)
person not protected for act/omission done while impersonating health care/emergency services or while falsely representing as having special skills in connection with rendering assistance.
s5B
5B General principles