QBE Insurance (Australia) Limited v NTI Limited [2022] NSWSC 1273

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: QBE Insurance (Australia) Limited v NTI Limited [2022] NSWSC 1273 Hearing dates: 19 September 2022 Date of orders: 21 September 2022 Decision date: 21 September 2022 Jurisdiction: Equity - Commercial List Before: Stevenson J Decision: Defendant not liable to make contribution; Summons to be dismissed Catchwords: INSURANCE – liability insurance – application for contribution between insurers – where both plaintiff and defendant insurers wrote liability policy covering the one insured – where plaintiff insurer settled claim against the insured – whether coordinate liability between insurers – whether defendant insurer liable to contribute – whether exclusion in defendant insurer's policy engaged – proper construction of the exclusion clause Cases Cited: Albion Insurance Co Ltd v Government Insurance Office (NSW) (1969) 121 CLR 342; [1969] HCA 55 Darlington Futures Ltd v Delco Australia Pty Ltd (1986) 161 CLR 500; [1986] HCA 82 HDI Global Speciality SE v Wonkana No. 3 Pty Ltd (2020) 104 NSWLR 634; [2020] NSWCA 296 Impact Funding Solutions Limited (Respondent) v AIG Europe Insurance Ltd (formerly known as Chartis Insurance (UK) Ltd) (Appellant) [2017] AC 73; [2016] UKSC 57 MLC Nominees Pty Ltd v Daffy [2017] VSCA 110 Texts Cited: P Herzfeld and T Prince, Interpretation (2nd ed, 2020, Thomson Reuters) Category: Principal judgment Parties: QBE Insurance (Australia) Limited (Plaintiff) NTI Limited (Defendant) Representation: Counsel: S E McCarthy with R Sud (Plaintiff) S R Donaldson SC with N D Oreb (Defendant)