Insurance

The applicants in a class action against The Cosmetic Institute and twelve doctors over allegedly “incompetent” breast augmentation surgery have won court approval to expand their case to allege misleading and deceptive conduct and breaches of the consumer guarantees in the Australian Consumer Law.

Two insurers have won an appeal that blocks group members in a class action against sandalwood producer Quintis from receiving a further $11.25 million after a settlement was reached almost two years ago. 

Hall & Wilcox has bolstered its insurance practice with the appointment of new partner Priya Paquet, who will be based at the firm’s Brisbane office. 

A judge has lashed the “unsatisfactory” lack of cooperation between British automotive distributor Inchcape and Chubb in a $2.3 million dispute over coverage for a cyber attack which caused over $4 million in loss.

A judge has hit Westpac with a $1.5 million penalty for misleading 141 customers into believing they had purchased add-on insurance.

Insurance Australia Group is investigating the underwriter behind an allegedly unauthorised trade credit policy issued to Greensill Capital, according to a defence by the insurer in a $43 million case brought by a Credit Suisse supply chain fund left heavily exposed after Greensill’s collapse.

Snap Fitness franchisee Dural 24/7 has appealed a ruling that found insurer Lloyd’s could rely on a conformity clause in its insurance contract to deny coverage to the NSW gym for losses related to the coronavirus pandemic.

Collapsed supply chain finance company Greensill Capital has been accused of fraudulently obtaining policies from its largest insurer, Japan-based Tokio Marine, which has been dragged into four lawsuits over a trade credit policy issued in 2019.

The structural engineer behind Sydney’s Opal Tower plans to drag insurer Tokio Marine into a lawsuit against two of Icon’s insurers, after discovering another $50 million policy that responds to claims in a class action brought by apartment owners.

An appeals court has found that Avant Insurance must indemnify a plastic surgeon for his legal bills and the claims of all relevant group members in a class action over alleged botched breast augmentations.