home | expertise | practice groups | insurance

Insurance

Insurance is a cornerstone of our business.

Few of our competitors have a comparable level or breadth of experience, or as thorough an understanding of the insurance industry.

The increasing demands of a sophisticated public and ever more complex and sensitive litigation make the practise of insurance law the domain of true specialists. Hunt & Hunt knows the insurance industry, the marketplace and the law.

Our understanding of the insurance environment, as well as insureds’ business interests, means we can provide effective commercial insurance advice to both insurance companies and to our commercial clients regarding their insurance and risk management programs and concerns. We take a strategic approach to case management and claims resolution and utilise customised technology and insurance practice management systems.

Our clients include most of Australia's major insurers, as well as a raft of smaller insurers, self-insurers, reinsurers, underwriters and brokers, both domestic and international.

We are active industry participants and maintain our corporate or individual memberships of all of the leading professional and industry associations, including the Australian Insurance Institute, Australian Insurance Law Association, Australian Product Liability Association, Association for Women in Insurance, Insurance Council of Australia, Australian & New Zealand Institute of Insurance and Finance, Law Council of Australia, INFINSIA and Life Insurance Federation of Australia.

Within our insurance group we employ specialist teams for niche worktypes such as fraud and catastrophic claims.

We are champions for the voice of the "reasonable insurer". By informing/educating key stakeholders, adversarial tendencies diminish and cooperation is enhanced. The primary focus of our internal CLE and training programs is on developing and maintaining cooperative relationships with opposing solicitors to ensure that communication channels are always open. This facilitates our target of early resolution even if a few finer points of information are lacking. The utilisation of our specialist teams (eg, catastrophic claims) enhances the flow of information and reduces the tendency of opposing solicitors to press inflated claims to hearing. We regularly produce a CTP Handbook which is a convenient summary of all relevant legislation, scales, multipliers and information necessary for the expeditious handling of claims. The free Handbook is distributed to opposing solicitors as well as our clients and is highly sought after. We have been praised by the industry for the spirit of cooperation brought about by this initiative.

The primary focus of our national insurance team is to identify the crucial issues, deliver the right solutions and to effectively manage costs in order to assist our clients to remain competitive.

Our Services

Our lawyers advise on all types of insurance claims and coverage disputes, including:

Claims assessment Policy interpretation and drafting
Compulsory Third Party Product liability
Corporate insurance advice Professional indemnity
Corporate insurance and risk review for major projects Public liability
Directors’ and officers’ duties Risk management
Marine and aviation Statutory and compliance issues
Personal injury Tort-based litigation

For further information, contact Peter Ewin and Linda Hamilton.

Latest News

12 Jul 2010 The Civil Procedure Bill 2010: Comprehensive overhaul of the civil justice system in Victoria
22 Jun 2010 High Court: rescuers attending scene of train wreck are entitled to damages for psychiatric illness
22 Apr 2010 A plaintiff’s problem of proof: a look at the High Court’s decision in Amaca –v– Ellis
1 Feb 2009 CTP handbook February 2010
4 Dec 2009 Zurich Australian Insurance Limited –v– Metals and Minerals Insurance Pte Limited [2009] HCA 50
3 Sep 2009  Building & Construction Law Case Note - Leighton Contractors
18 Aug 2009 CTP Handbook August 2009
12 Aug 2009 New authority – the cure by costs for late amendment of the pleadings is no longer good law
29 Jul 2009 Credit and video evidence - Sabanovic ats Atco Controls Pty Ltd 2009 (VSCA 143)
22 Jul 2009 Valuers and mortgage brokers: - new Federal regulation of the industry due in November 2009
8 Jul 2009 Tunnel trouble in the Lion City - Limit (No 3) Limited –v– ACE Insurance Limited [2009] NSWSC 514
7 Jul 2009 Sleighed at the supermarket - Coles Supermarkets Australia Pty Limited –v– Tormey [2009] NSWCA 135
18 Jun 2009 Can the insured obtain payments from its insurer for construction work where the work was to safeguard and minimise the insured risk?
26 May 2009 CTP Handbook May 2009
27 Feb 2009 Rescinding a contract for the sale of land
19 Feb 2009     Responsible v irresponsible serving of alcohol – What duty if any does a publican have?
18 Feb 2009  No contributory negligence on part of injured passenger
13 Feb 2009 Utmost good faith – dual insurer’s right of subrogation s45 (1) ICA Requirements
4 Feb 2009 CTP handbook Jan 2009
23 Jan 2009 Golf injury: Watch out Errol
18 Dec 2008 APRA releases prudential framework for supervision of general insurance groups
20 Nov 2008 Settlement Apportionable Claims
30 Oct 2008 Gratuitous Care Assessment Bill passed
24 Oct 2008 Further change to principles for assessment of damages for gratuitous care
29 Sep 2008 Civil Liability Act 2002 Schedule of Damages
19 Sep 2008 CTP_handbook_Sept_08
29 Aug 2008 Imbree –v– McNeilly [2008] HCA 40 (28 August 2008)
8 Aug 2008 Quintano v B W Rose Pty Ltd & ors
31 Jul 2008 Exclusion for known circumstances
31 Jul 2008

Footpath falls - should highway authorities be concerned?

6 Jun 2008 Change to Gratuitous Care
                       

 

© 2006 Hunt&Hunt
Designed & developed by Daemon Group