Grounds 8, 9, 10 and 11 - Errors in Finding of Material Fact
- The first material error, the subject of Ground 8, is that the primary Judge did not explain why she concluded that there was soap residue on the floor in light of the evidence that no one actually saw any soap on the floor, and the conflict in the evidence as to what part of the floor was actually slippery.
- It is correct that there was no evidence that anyone noticed that soap was on the floor. However, it is not correct to submit that there was any real conflict in the evidence about where the plaintiff's foot was. The plaintiff was clear in her evidence, which I have extracted at [53] above, that her foot which slipped was on or in the vicinity of the drain. The drain was identified in the photographs and in the evidence.
- The fact that no one saw soap on the floor, in light of the evidence about the very slippery nature of the floor, was not of any importance in the reasoning process which her Honour was entitled to follow.
- The evidence presented to her Honour as to the slippery state of the floor was highly persuasive. Not only did her Honour accept, and was impressed by, the evidence of the plaintiff and Mr Hallstrom, but her Honour also had almost contemporaneous evidence from Ms Foxon's email and Ms West's written statement as to the slippery state of the floor.
- Her Honour rejected the evidence of Ms Boys, again largely on the basis of demeanour. Ms Grabham did not given any evidence of significance either way as to the state of the floor at the time of the fall. She did not enter the staff toilet until after the plaintiff had been taken away to be treated. Many people had moved in and out of the staff toilet by that time.
- The only evidence which Ms Grabham gave was that she noticed marks on the floor, apparently from shoes. This observation did not tell against the existence of soap or a slippery substance on the floor.
- In those circumstances, her Honour's resolution of the factual case presented by both parties did not bespeak error. The finding that there was soap residue on the floor was plainly open. It was not erroneous. It is one which was plainly correct.
- The next error of material fact-finding of which the LHD complained, in Ground 9, was the failure to make any finding as to how and in what circumstances the soap came to be on the floor.
- As has already been discussed, the only way in which the soap residue could have come to the floor was via the soap dispenser. There was no other source of soap identified in the staff toilets. Ms Grabham sent a memorandum cautioning staff to be on the lookout for soap residue on the floor of bathrooms because of the way in which dispensers were being used by staff.
- No issue was posed to her Honour which required her to make a finding as to how and in what circumstances the soap came to be on the floor. The issue posed for her was whether there was a slippery substance on the floor and if so, what it was.
- That issue was resolved by her Honour and it was not erroneous of her in the circumstances of this case to fail to make the finding about which complaint is now made, under this ground.
- Ground 10 complains that her Honour ought to have made a finding as to the precise location in which the plaintiff fell.
- The staff toilet was not a large room. The evidence of the plaintiff, which was not challenged, was that she slipped after she emerged from the toilet cubicle and as she made her way across the bathroom to the basin. The distance, from the photographs, appears to be no more than two metres or so. The plaintiff's evidence was that her feet were in the vicinity of the drain at the time she fell.
- There was no issue of fact posed for her Honour's determination that required her to make any finding about the position of the fall.
- On the way in which the case was presented, this was not a necessary fact to be found. I would not uphold this Ground.
- Ground 11 complains that the primary Judge erred in making a finding that the LHD employed the respondent. The primary Judge, at the commencement of her judgment, but at no other time, stated that the plaintiff sustained her injury "… in the course of her employment with the defendant as a nursing instructor".
- This was plainly an error. The plaintiff was employed by the University of Western Sydney as a nurse facilitator, but carried out her employment duties at the Hospital.
- The LHD submits that it is not clear to what extent this error affected her Honour's conclusion as to liability, but draws attention to the well-known duty of care owed by an employer to an employee. The LHD submits that "… it may be that her Honour applied that more stringent duty of care to the appellant, rather than the appropriate duty reflecting its status as occupier".
- I am satisfied that her Honour did no such thing. Nowhere in her judgment did she refer to the duty of care owed by an employer to an employee. She did not refer to any of the people that came to assist the plaintiff as her fellow employees. She analysed the duty which was owed by reference to the classic statement of an occupier's duty.
- Whilst an error was made, I am not satisfied it had affected her Honour's findings on liability. I would not be prepared to uphold this Ground.