Singleton v Direct Personnel Services Pty Ltd & Anor
[2025] QSC 259 · Smith J
Lucas Singleton, a labour-hire worker in his mid-30s, was injured in July 2019 while separating a heavy fibreglass spiral from a mould at a Carrara factory. The spiral fell off a rail and jolted him forward, causing a disc protrusion in his lower back that required surgery. He also developed an adjustment disorder with depression and anxiety. He sued both his labour-hire employer and the host factory operator, arguing the work system was unsafe and he could not return to work. Both companies denied being negligent. The judge found both were negligent, dividing responsibility 25% to the labour-hire company and 75% to the host factory. However, the judge found Mr Singleton had exaggerated the ongoing effect of his injury — pointing to extensive overseas travel and a heavy gym routine he had not disclosed to the doctors — and concluded he could return to lighter work from early 2021. He recovered about $490,000 from the host employer.
Incident & injury
Plaintiff injured at work while separating a fibreglass spiral from a mould; the spiral fell off a rail jolting him forward into rapid forward flexion, causing an L4/5 disc protrusion.
- Body regions
- Lumbar spine, Psychiatric
- Diagnoses
- L4/5 disc protrusion with left L5 nerve root compression, aggravation of pre-existing lumbar degenerative change, adjustment disorder with mixed depressed and anxious mood
- Incident date
- 11 July 2019
- Location
- Carrara, Queensland
Quick facts
- Date of judgment
- 13 October 2025
- Claim type
- Hybrid (WCRA + PIPA)
- Proceeding
- Trial
- Plaintiff outcome
- Successful
- Plaintiff age at injury
- 34
- Occupation
- Factory hand / fabricating engineer (labour-hire worker) Labourer
- Liability
- Disputed
- ISV assessed
- 14 uplift applied · WCRR Sch 14 Item 91 (moderate lumbar spine injury)
- Whole Person Impairment
- 10%
- Total damages
- $490,429
Outcome
The court found both defendants negligent and entered judgment for the plaintiff against the labour-hire employer (DPS) for $433,056.28 and against the host employer (MT) for $490,429.05, apportioning responsibility 25% to DPS and 75% to MT, with MT ordered to contribute $324,792.21 to DPS. The plaintiff was found to have exaggerated the effect of the injury on his functional capacity, reducing the quantum.
Defendants (2)
1 Direct Personnel Services Pty Ltd
Labour-hire employer
- Apportionment
- 25%
- Judgment against this defendant
- $433,056
- WorkCover refund
- $81,277
Heads of damage
| General damages | $26,100 |
|---|---|
| Past economic loss | $114,858 |
| Interest on past EL | $9,520 |
| Past superannuation | $11,486 |
| Future loss of economic capacity | $187,920 |
| Future superannuation | $23,490 |
| Past special damages (plaintiff) | $51,664 |
| Interest on past special damages | $191 |
| Future special damages | $1,958 |
| Fox v Wood | $5,870 |
2 Mineral Technologies Pty Ltd
Host employer / Occupier
- Apportionment
- 75%
- Judgment against this defendant
- $490,429
- WorkCover refund
- $81,277
Heads of damage
| General damages | $55,000 |
|---|---|
| Interest on general damages | $3,750 |
| Past economic loss | $114,858 |
| Interest on past EL | $23,051 |
| Past superannuation | $11,486 |
| Future loss of economic capacity | $187,920 |
| Future superannuation | $23,490 |
| Past care (Griffiths v Kerkemeyer) | $10,920 |
| Past special damages (plaintiff) | $51,664 |
| Interest on past special damages | $463 |
| Future special damages | $1,958 |
| Fox v Wood | $5,870 |
Contribution orders
- Mineral Technologies Pty Ltd ordered to contribute $324,792 to Direct Personnel Services Pty Ltd (Law Reform Act 1995 (Qld) s 6(c) - 75% of judgment against first defendant)
Key issues
Singleton v Direct Personnel Services Pty Ltd & Anor [2025] QSC 259
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