Hong Kong Case Law: Decisions & Judgments

Topic

Multiplier methodology

Legal area

Court

4 Jun 2001

LEE YUEN NGAN, AMY LAWRENCE v. LAU WING HOP

Citation

LEE YUEN NGAN, AMY LAWRENCE v. LAU WING HOP
Court

Court of First Instance
Case number

HCPI223/1999

With liability admitted, the court preferred the plaintiff's psychiatric and loss evidence in key respects, accepted a modest increase in working days and a 15% client transfer to other consultants (with commission adjustments), rejected compounded product growth but allowed no-growth product loss, awarded PSLA at $600,000, pre-trial loss $1,256,900, future loss using multiplier 7 ($2,778,412), allowed agreed future psychiatric treatment, disallowed private physiotherapy claim, awarded interest and costs accordingly.
21 Dec 1992

KINGS LIGHT INDUSTRIAL LTD. v. LO WAI KEUNG

Citation

KINGS LIGHT INDUSTRIAL LTD. v. LO WAI KEUNG
Court

Court of Appeal
Case number

CACV80/1992

Court declined to disturb the trial judge's global exercise of discretion on most heads but adjusted specific items where evidence or principle required: deleted the separate loss of earning capacity award (36,000), disallowed future care and attention (36,000), reduced the holiday benefit capitalisation to a three-year valuation (substitute $183,153 for $976,816), reduced nourishing food award to $5,000 (from $28,060), corrected the tax deduction producing a further reduction, and ordered total deductions of $1,177,873 resulting in a partially allowed appeal and costs nisi for the appellant.
2 May 1985

MADAM LEUNG YUET HAN AND ANOTHER v. LEE HEUNG TOI AND ANOTHER

Citation

MADAM LEUNG YUET HAN AND ANOTHER v. LEE HEUNG TOI AND ANOTHER
Court

Court of First Instance
Case number

HCA3549/1982

With liability admitted and no persuasive special factors demonstrated by the defence, the court applied a multiplier of 16 for a 25‑year‑old deceased following established Hong Kong practice; it accepted the employer evidence (with adjustments) for past and projected future earnings, fixed the deceased's free balance at 50% after considering living expenses and prospects of marriage, and awarded specified sums for loss of expectation of life, funeral expenses, past and future loss of earnings with interest and a costs order in favour of defendants after payment in.
10 Jul 1979

CHEUNG MEI NOR AND ANOTHER v. MAK KAU AND ANOTHER

Citation

CHEUNG MEI NOR AND ANOTHER v. MAK KAU AND ANOTHER
Court

Court of First Instance
Case number

HCA4455/1978

Because evidence of the deceased's precise age and exact contribution level was vague and unverified, the court resolved uncertainties against the plaintiffs, adopted a multiplicand of HKD 500 per month and a multiplier of 6 (on an assumed age of 63), awarded general damages of HKD 36,000, refused to apply the 'lost years' principle from Pickett to a Fatal Accidents claim, ordered the conventional Cap.23 award of HKD 10,000 to merge, allowed special damages for funeral expenses of HKD 6,000, awarded interest (7% p.a. on general from service of the writ; 4% p.a. on special from date of acciden…

Hong Kong Case Law

LEE YUEN NGAN, AMY LAWRENCE v. LAU WING HOP

KINGS LIGHT INDUSTRIAL LTD. v. LO WAI KEUNG

MADAM LEUNG YUET HAN AND ANOTHER v. LEE HEUNG TOI AND ANOTHER

CHEUNG MEI NOR AND ANOTHER v. MAK KAU AND ANOTHER