Long v IS Industry Fund Pty Ltd [2020] NSWSC 1151

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Long v IS Industry Fund Pty Ltd [2020] NSWSC 1151 Hearing dates: 4 and 5 February 2020, 1 May 2020 Decision date: 27 August 2020 Jurisdiction: Equity Before: Robb J Decision: See par [406]. Parties should confer and provide to my Associate short minutes of order to give effect to these reasons for judgment. Catchwords: INSURANCE — Life insurance — Accident and sickness — total and permanent disablement — where the second defendant had rejected the claim of the plaintiff on numerous occasions — where, on the proper construction of the Policy, the inability to do any work as a result of Injury or Illness for six consecutive months only relates to periods of six consecutive months that commence at the end of a six month period that satisfies the relevant work requirements — where, on the proper construction of the Policy, the direct cause of the contract of employment being terminated was immaterial — where the second defendant acted on an incorrect construction of the Policy in the third and fourth rejections — where the process of reasoning adopted by the second defendant was not reasonable with respect to the third and fourth rejections Legislation Cited: Insurance Contracts Act 1984 (Cth) Cases Cited: Associated Provincial Picture Houses Ltd v Wednesbury Corporation [1948] 1 KB 223 Birdsall v Motor Trades Association of Australia Superannuation Fund Pty Ltd [2015] NSWCA 104 Chammas v Harwood Nominees Pty Ltd (1993) 7 ANZ Ins Cas 61-175 Edwards v Hunter Valley Co-op Dairy Co Ltd (1992) 7 ANZ Ins Cas 61-113 Hannover Life Re of Australasia Ltd v Colella (2014) 47 VR 1; [2014] VSCA 205 Hannover Life Re of Australasia Ltd v Jones [2017] NSWCA 233 Hannover Life Re of Australasia Ltd v Sayseng [2005] NSWCA 214 Hellessey v MetLife Insurance Ltd [2017] NSWSC 1284 Ivan Mabbett v Watson Wyatt Superannuation Pty Ltd [2008] NSWSC 365 Manglicmot v Commonwealth Bank Officers Superannuation Corporation Pty Ltd [2011] NSWCA 204; (2011) 282 ALR 167 McCann v Switzerland Insurance Australia Ltd (2000) 203 CLR 579; [2000] HCA 65 MetLife Insurance Ltd v Hellessey [2018] NSWCA 307 MetLife Insurance Ltd v MX [2019] NSWCA 228 Paul Weber v Tiss Pty Ltd [2005] NSWSC 67 Peppers Hotel Management Pty Ltd v Hotel Capital Partners Ltd [2004] NSWCA 114 Shuetrim v FSS Trustee Corporation [2015] NSWSC 464 Standley v Onepath Life Pty Ltd [2020] NSWSC 848 TAL Life Ltd v Shuetrim (2016) 91 NSWLR 439; [2016] NSWCA 68 Wheeler v FSS Trustee Corporation as trustee for the First State Superannuation Scheme [2016] NSWSC 534 Category: Principal judgment Parties: Martin Long (plaintiff) IS Industry Fund Pty Ltd (first defendant) Hannover Life Re of Australasia Ltd (second defendant) Representation: Counsel: A Coombes (plaintiff) I Wylie (sol) (defendants)