MLL213&Torts&T1&2020&SORTHE&Page&1&of&4&
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DEAKIN UNIVERSITY
Faculty of Business and Law
MLL213′(‘Torts’
Scheduled’Release’Online’Take’Home’Exam'(SORTHE)’
Trimester’1’2020′
Special’instructions’for’Candidates:&
• This&SORTHE&is&OPEN&BOOK.&
• Calculators&are&ALLOWED.&
• This&SORTHE&is&open&for&48’HOURS.&
• Anticipated&writing/typing&time&is&approximately&TWO&(2)&HOURS.&
• You&must&type&your&responses&into&a&single&Word&document&and&upload&it&to&the&
Exam’Submission’DropBox&on&the&CloudDeakin&site.&
• Late&submissions&will¬&be&marked.&
• This&SORTHE&comprises&FIVE'(5)’questions.&&You&are&required&to&answer&ALL’FIVE’
(5)&questions.&
• The&breakdown&of&marks&is&as&follows:&
o Question&1:&24&marks&
o Question&2:&6&marks&
o Question&3:&14&marks&
o Question&4:&6&marks&
o Question&5:&10&marks&
o TOTAL&MARKS:&60&marks&
• This&examination&constitutes&60%’of&your&assessment&in&this&unit.&
• Save&your&response&on&your&computer&in&a&Word&document&using&the&file&name:&&
student&id,&unit&code&and&the&unit&name,&for&example:&123456789′
MLL213_Torts.&
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• If&you&encounter&any&technical&issues&with&CloudDeakin,&please&contact&the&IT&
Service&Desk&online&or&via&phone&(1800&463&888;&+61&5227&8888&if&calling&from&
outside&Australia)&and&record&your&ticket&number&as&evidence&of&technical&issues&
during&the&examination&period.&
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MLL213&Torts&T1&2020&SORTHE&Page&2&of&4&
Sam&decided&to&go&out&for&dinner&to&celebrate&his&60th&birthday&with&his&family.&He&decided&to&take&his&family&to&
an&expensive&restaurant&in&the&Melbourne&CBD&called&Fork&and&Knife.&The&head&chef,&Alex&Zonfrillo,&is&a&very&
experienced&chef&who&has&been&in&the&restaurant&industry&for&thirty&years&and&who&has&been&chef&and&
apprentice&at&some&of&the&best&restaurants&in&the&world.&Whilst&on&the&phone&to&the&restaurant&to&make&the&
booking,&Sam&informed&the&restaurant&that&he&had&an&allergy&to&eggs&and&requested&that&Fork&and&Knife&
ensure&that&there&was&no&egg&in&any&of&his&dishes.&&
Sam’s&allergy&was&severe;&any&contact&with&food&that&had&even&trace&amounts&of&egg&on&it&would&cause&him&to&
go&into&a&state&of&anaphylaxis.&Among&other&consequences,&this&could&result&in&Sam&losing&consciousness&and&
remaining&in&a&prolonged&state&of&unconsciousness&(a&‘coma’).&
Sam&attends&the&restaurant&and&the&eighteenccourse°ustation&dinner&begins.&
In&the&kitchen,&the&chefs&are&preparing&the&food.&Drew,&who&has&recently&completed&his&apprenticeship&under&
Alex&and&is&now&a&qualified&chef,&is&outside&having&his&dinner&break.&He&is&eating&a&quiche&that&he&made&at&
home.&Alex&steps&outside&where&Drew&is&eating,&and&shouts&at&him&to&hurry&up&and&finish&eating&and&to&get&
back&to&work.&Drew&quickly&finishes&his&quiche&and&heads&back&into&the&kitchen.&Crumbs&from&the&quiche&
remain&on&Drew’s&hands,&around&his&lips,&and&on&his&apron.&Before&starting&to&cook&again,&however,&he&fails&to&
wash&his&hands&or&replace&his&apron.&
Drew&has&only&recently&completed&his&apprenticeship,&so&Alex&thinks&this&is&a&good&chance&for&him&to&practice&
his&skills&using&noncallergenic&products.&Alex&reads&Sam’s&order&on&the&docket&that¬es&‘no&egg—allergy’,&and&
says&to&Drew&‘No&egg&in&one&of&the&dishes!’&Drew&responds&‘Yes,&chef!’&While&Drew&is&cooking&Sam’s&meal,&he&
contaminates&it&with&the&trace&elements&of&egg&from&his&face,&hands,&and&apron.&
Sam&is&driving&home&from&the&dinner,&and&begins&to&feel&sleepy.&He&thinks&this&is&due&to&the&eighteenccourse&
meal&he&has&just&consumed&that&lasted&five&hours.&In&fact,&he&is&experiencing&the&beginning&of&an&anaphylactic&
shock.&Sam&then&suddenly&loses&consciousness,&his&hands&release&their&grip&on&the&steering&wheel,&and&he&no&
longer&has&control&of&his&car.&It&crashes&into&another&car&driven&by&Amy.&At&the&moment&of&impact,&Amy’s&
vehicle&was&on&the&wrong&side&of&the&road&(ie,&Sam’s&side&of&the&road);&she&had&lost&control&of&her&car&because&
she&was&heavily&intoxicated;&the&police&report&subsequently&reveals&that&she&had&a&Blood&Alcohol&Volume&(BAL)&
of&0.3,&well&above&the&legal&limit.&
An&ambulance&attends&and&transports&Sam&to&Greystar&Hospital.&&
Sam&remains&in&the&hospital&and&is&in&a&coma&for&fourteen&days.&When&he®ains&consciousness,&he&is&told&that&
he&has&suffered&a&significant&brain&injury.&As&a&result,&he&has&to&reclearn&how&to&write,&walk,&and&talk&through&
extensive&rehabilitation&and&other&therapies.&He&has&also&lost&50%&mobility&in&his&left&arm.&An&impairment&
assessment&is&conducted&of&his&arm&under&the&American)Medical)Association)Guidelines)to)the)Evaluation)of)
Permanent)Impairment&(4th&ed.)&(‘AMAc4’)&and&it&indicates&that&he&suffers&a&permanent&impairment&of&45%&to&
his&left&arm.&The&cost&of&rehabilitation,&medical&attendance,&and&other&therapies&was&$5,000&per&week.&
Prior&to&the&accident,&Sam&worked&as&a&Managing&Director&at&the&head&office&of&a&national&fast&food&chain.&He&
earnt&$3,000&per&week.&In&the&week&prior&to&the&accident&he&had&interviewed&for&the&position&of&Chief&
Operations&Officer.&He&was&one&of&a&small&pool&of&candidates&interviewed&for&the&position.&If&he&were&
successful&in&his&application&for&the&position,&his&salary&would&have&been&approximately&$4,000&per&week.&
Now,&two&years&after&the&accident,&Sam&works&at&a&community¢re&as&an&administrative&assistant&one&day&
per&week&earning&$170.&&
Prior&to&the&accident,&Sam&would&go&camping&and&often&engage&in&adventurous&activities,&such&as&mountain&
biking,&rock&climbing&and&hiking.&Following&the&accident,&Sam&is&unable&to&do&any&of&these&activities,&which&he&
enjoyed;&he&largely&avoids&doing&physical&activity.&
MLL213&Torts&T1&2020&SORTHE&Page&3&of&4&
Sam&also&suffers&severe&anxiety&and&depression&as&a&consequence&of&the&anaphylactic&shock&episode.&At×&
his&anxiety&becomes&so&severe&and&overwhelming&he&enters&into&a&state&of&psychosis.&A&clinical&psychiatrist&
assesses&his&condition&and&diagnoses&it&as&Severe&Anxiety&and&Depression,&a&condition&recognised&in&the&AMAc
4.&In&order&to&assist&Sam&deal&with&this&condition,&the&psychiatrist&recommends&that&he&make&use&of&a&support&
pet,&a&Labrador&named&Lucy.&When&Sam&begins&feeling&anxious&or&begins&to&have&a&panic&attack,&Lucy&has&been&
trained&to&assist&Sam&in&calming&down.&Lucy&costs&$500&per&week.&
Sam&has&also&renovated&his&house&to&make&the&space&more&liveable.&This&includes&railings&around&the&house&
and&in&the&bathroom,&and&a&ramp&leading&to&the&front&and&back&door.&Sam&spent&$10,000&on&the&renovations.&
He&also&spent&a&further&$5,000&on&a&security&system&since,&due&to&his&lack&of&mobility,&he&does¬&feel&secure&
living&alone.&Sam’s&mother&assists&him&with&everyday&care,&such&as&showering,&toileting,&meals,&and&
transporting&him&to&medical&appointments;&she&provides&this&assistance&seven&days&per&week&from&8am&to&
12pm.&She&does&this&without&payment.&From&12pm&until&8pm&seven&days&per&week,&a®istered&nurse&
provides&this&assistance&and&is&paid&at&the&hourly&rate&of&$48/hour.&Sam’s&mother&and&the&nurse&provide&these&
services&for&a&period&of&two&months&from&the&time&of&the&accident.&
Following&this&incident,&Fork&and&Knife&install&several&prominent&signs&all&over&the&kitchen&requiring&staff&to&
wash&their&hands&and&faces&with&soap,&and&replace&their&aprons,&after&any&meal&breaks&before&resuming&
cooking&duties.&Had&Drew&followed&these&measures,&he&would¬&have&contaminated&Sam’s&meal&with&egg.&
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1. Advise’whether’Drew’is’personally’liable’to’Sam’in’negligence’and’any’defences’that’may’apply'(24′
marks).’
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2. Advise’whether’Fork’and’Knife’is’liable’for’the’actions’of’Drew'(6’marks).’
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3. Assume’that’Sam’has’brought’a’claim’in’negligence’against’Drew’and’Fork’and’Knife,’and’it’has’been’
successful.’Advise’Sam’what’damages’he’will’be’entitled’to'(14’marks).&
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4. Assume’that’the’additional’facts’set’out’below’apply,’and’advise’whether’Mr’Griffiths’owes’Sam’a’duty’
of’care’and’whether’he’has’breached’that’duty'(6’marks).’
Sam&has&an&appointment&with&a&neurosurgeon&(brain&surgeon)&at&Greystar&Hospital,&Mr&Griffiths.&He&
advises&Sam&that&there&is&a&new&type&of&experimental&elective&neurosurgery&available&that&may&be&able&to&
reduce&his&neurological&deficit&and&restore&the&mobility&in&his&left&arm&to&80%&of&its&precaccident&mobility.&
Mr&Griffiths&performs&the&surgical&procedure&usingµsurgery.&It&involves&making&small&incisions&in&the&
skull&with&the&aid&ofµscopes.&It&is&a&practice&that&is&accepted&by&a&number&of&neurosurgeons&(but¬&
universally)&in&Australia,&while&it&is&used&by&a&majority&of&surgeons&in&the&United&States&of&America.&Mr&
Griffiths&believes&this&option&is&less&invasive&and&just&as&effective&a&treatment&as&the&‘open&method’&of&
surgery.&The&‘open&method’&requires&cutting&a&large&opening&in&the&skull&to&access&the&brain.&This&open&
method&surgery&is&a&common&method&of&neurosurgery&in&Australia,&and&used&by&other&surgeons&at&
Greystar&Hospital.&
Three&(3)&weeks&later,&Sam&experiences&a&tingling&feeling&in&the&fingers&of&his&right&hand.&Sam&attends&
Greystar&Hospital&where&he&is&examined&by&a&speciallycconstituted&medical&panel,&which&advises&him&that&
he&has&suffered&severe&nerve&damage&following&surgery,&and&will&lose&movement&in&his&right&hand.&This&
team&of&experts&advise&Sam&that,&had&Mr&Griffiths&utilised&the&open&surgery&method&rather&than&the&
microsurgery&method,&Sam&would¬&have&suffered&this&severe&nerve&damage.&
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MLL213&Torts&T1&2020&SORTHE&Page&4&of&4&
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5. Assume’that’the’additional’facts’set’out’below’apply,’and’advise’whether’Sam’has’a’good’cause’of’
action’against’Fork’and’Knife’in’the’tort’of’breach’of’statutory’duty'(10’marks).’
The&Food)Act)1984&(Vic)&has,&as&one&of&its&objects&in&s&3(a),&‘to&ensure&food&for&sale&is&both&safe&and&suitable&
for&human&consumption’.&
Section&8A(1)&states&that&a&person&‘must¬&handle&food&intended&for&sale&in&a&manner&that&the&person&
ought&reasonably&to&know&is&likely&to&render&the&food&unsafe.’&Section&4D(1)&states&that&food&is&‘unsafe’&for&
the&purposes&of&the&Act&if&‘it&would&be&likely&to&cause&physical&harm&to&a&person&who&might&later&consume&
it.’&This&is&qualified&by&s&4D(2)&that&provides&that&‘food&is¬&unsafe&for&the&purposes&of&this&Act&merely&
because&its&inherent&nutritional&or&chemical&properties&cause,&or&its&inherent&nature&causes,&adverse&
reactions&only&in&persons&with&allergies&or&sensitivities&that&are¬&common&to&the&majority&of&persons.’&
Part&II&deals&with&offences&relating&to&food;&s&8A(2)&provides&that&‘a&person&who&contravenes&[s&8A(1)]&is&
guilty&of&an&indictable&offence&and&is&liable&to&a&penalty¬&exceeding&$75,000&in&the&case&of&an&individual&
or&$375,000&in&the&case&of&a&corporation.&
Further,&s&11(1)&provides&that&a&person&‘must¬&handle&food&intended&for&sale&in&a&manner&that&will&
render,&or&is&likely&to&render,&the&food&unsafe.’&The&penalty&for&this&is&$40,000&in&the&case&of&an&individual&or&
$200,000&in&the&case&of&a&corporation:&s&11(2).&
Section&17E&provides&that&a&person&is¬&be&liable&under&the&Act&if&that&person&‘took&all&reasonable&
precautions&and&exercised&all&due&diligence&to&prevent&the&commission&of&the&offence&by&the&person&or&by&
another&person&under&the&person’s&control.’&
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END’OF’EXAM’
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