The Full Federal Court has issued a mixed bag ruling in a business interruption insurance dispute between Suncorp subsidiary Vero Insurance and a Melbourne café and restaurant, which sought indemnity for losses incurred during the COVID-19 lockdowns.
The Insurance Council of Australia has asked the High Court to weigh in on its case against COVID-19 related claims in business interruption policies, following its high stakes loss in a ruling last month that found an infectious disease exclusion did not apply.
A judge has signalled his intention to sign off on a $138 million settlement in a class action against IAG and approve a common fund order that gives the litigation funder a $34.5 million commission, but an application by the funder for reimbursement of after-the-event insurance has been refused.
A judge will appoint an independent barrister to determine the allocation of settlement proceeds between insured group members and their insurers from two St Patrick’s Day bushfire class actions, finding that the ‘overly combative’ conduct of law firm Maddens warranted the appointment despite the extra costs involved.
The prefab concrete specialist behind Sydney’s Opal Tower has appealed a ruling letting its insurers off the hook to pay costs in advance incurred in defending cross-claims in two lawsuits over the ill-fated tower.
A court has found that insurer Youi breached its duty of utmost good faith by taking two years to settle a home owner’s hail storm claim.
The prefab concrete specialist behind Sydney’s Opal Tower has lost a courtroom bid to have its insurer pay costs in advance incurred in defending cross-claims in two lawsuits over the ill-fated tower.
Insurers may face a class action by holders of business interruption insurance that have had their COVID-19-related claims rejected, following their loss in a test case over whether an infectious disease exclusion in business interruption cover applies to coronavirus-related claims.
A Victoria Supreme Court judge hearing two competing class actions against Allianz Australia over “junk” insurance has asked the parties for feedback on what she should consider at a hearing on a request for a group costs order, which would allow the plaintiff lawyers to earn a cut of any settlement or judgment, the first such request made since Victoria legalised contingency fees.
Insurers will face a flood of pandemic-related claims after an appeals court ruled in a test case brought by the Insurance Council that certain infectious disease exclusions in business interruption cover do not apply to coronavirus-related claims.