Queensland Court of Appeal upholds that deceased driver owes duty to police officer

Date: December 18, 2019

 

AAI Limited v Caffrey [2019] QCA 293.

 

Key Points:

 

Background:

The respondent was a police officer who developed Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) after attending the scene of a single vehicle motor vehicle accident. The driver had suffered eventually fatal injuries but was still alive when the respondent attended. He took steps to maximise the driver’s chances of survival by:

After the paramedics arrived, the respondent was informed that the driver was going to pass away. He informed the driver’s parents and took the driver’s parents to say goodbye.

 

Decision at Trial:

The trial judge held:

 

Court of Appeal:

On appeal, the appellant CTP insurer submitted that:

The Court of Appeal found:

 

Conclusion:

Under the common law, a driver who negligently causes an accident owes a duty of care to police officers (and likely any other emergency workers) who attend the accident scene.

 

Contact:

 

Josiah Lee
Solicitor
Direct: +61 (0) 7 3307 5506
josiah.lee@hbalegal.com

 

Hamish Craib
Partner
Direct: +61 (0) 7 3307 5503
hamish.craib@hbalegal.com

Download PDF:  AAI Limited v Caffrey

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