Pioneer v QBE [2002] NSWSC 137

Reported Decision : (2002) 12 ANZ Insurance Cases 61-520

New South Wales Supreme Court

CITATION : Pioneer v QBE [2002] NSWSC 137 CURRENT JURISDICTION: Common Law Division FILE NUMBER(S) : SC 20339/98 HEARING DATE(S) : 31/1/02 JUDGMENT DATE : 8 March 2002

Pioneer Road Services Pty Limited (Cross Claimant) PARTIES : QBE Insurance Limited (First Cross Defendant) QBE Insurance (Australia) Limited (Second Cross Defendant) JUDGMENT OF : Wood CJatCL at 1

B Toomey QC with A Black (Plaintiff) B Donovan QC with P A Regottieri (1st Def) COUNSEL : J E Maconachie QC with I R Pike (2nd Def) I G Harrison SC with P S Braham (3rd Def + Cross Claimant) P Hallen SC (Cross defendants 1 & 2) Walsh & Blair (P) I V Knight (Crown Sol) (D1) SOLICITORS : Phillips Fox (D2) Corrs Chambers Westgarth (D3) Colin Biggers & Paisly (XDef) CATCHWORDS : Insurance policy - plaintiff injured whilst driving after roadworks - cross claim - indemnity sought - nature and extent of policy coverage - whether material non disclosure in policy - policy not intended to cover the type of activities performed. LEGISLATION CITED : Insurance Contracts Act 1984 Alex Kay Pty Limited v General Motor Acceptance Corporation & Anor (1963) VR 458 Atlantic Maritime Co Inc v Gibbon [1954] 1 QB 88 Australian Casualty Co Ltd v Federico (1986) 160 CLR 513 Australian Paper Plantations Pty Limited v Venturoni (2000) VSCA 71 Baltzan v Fidelity Insurance Co of Canada [1932] 32 WWR 140 Canada Rice Millers Ltd v Union Marine & General Insurance Co Ltd (1941) AC 55 City Centre Cold Store Pty Limited v Preservative Skandia Insurance Limited (1985) 3 NSWLR 739 Codelfa Construction Pty Limited v State Rail Authority of New South Wales (1982) 149 CLR 337 Darlington Futures Ltd v Delco Australia Pty Limited (1986) 161 CLR 500 Dickinson v Motor Vehicle Insurance Trust (1987) 163 CLR 500 FAI General Insurance Co Ltd v Gold Coast City Council (1995) 2 Qd R 341 GIO General Limited v Newcastle City Council (1996) 38 NSWLR 558 Government Insurance Office of NSW v R J Green & Lloyd Pty Limited (1965) 114 CLR 437 Hazelwood v Travellers Indemnity Co of Canada (1979) 2 WWR 271 CE Heath Underwriting & Insurance (Aust) Pty Ltd v Edwards Dunlop & Co Ltd (1993) 67 ALJR 395 HIH Casualty & General Insurance Limited v Waterwell Shipping Inc and Another (1988) 43 NSWLR 601 CASES CITED : James Miller and Partners Limited v Whitworth Street Estates (Manchester) Limited (1970) AC 583 JJ Lloyd Instruments Limited v Northern Star Insurance Co Limited [1987] 1 Lloyd's Law Reports 32 Alex Kay Pty Limited v General Motors Acceptance Corporation (1963) VR 458 Leyland Shipping Co Ltd v Norwich Union Fire Insurance Society Ltd (1918) AC 350 C H Magill & Anor v National Australia Bank Limited [2001] NSWCA 221 MGICA Ltd v United City Merchants (Australia) Limited (1986) 4 ANZ Ins Cas 74 Monarch Insurance Company Limited v Steel Mains Pty Limited (1986) 4 ANZ Insurance Cases 60 P Samuel and Co Ltd v Dumas [1924] AC 431 Sports Vision Australia Pty Limited v Tollglen Pty Limited (1998) 44 NSWLR 103 Spunwill Pty Limited v Bab Pty Limited (1994) 36 NSWLR 290 State Government Insurance Commission v Stevens Brothers Proprietary Limited (1984) 154 CLR 552 Walton v NEM General Insurance Association (1973) 2 NSWLR 73 Wayne Tank & Pump Co Limited v The Employer's Liability Assurance Corporation Limited (1973) 3 All ER 825 Vosten v The Commonwealth (1989) 1 Qd R 693 West Wake Price and Co v Ching (1956) 3 All ER 821 White v Australian and New Zealand Theatres Ltd (1943) 67 CLR 266 Zurich Australia Insurance Ltd v Fruehauf Finance Corporation Pty Limited (1993) 7 ANZ Ins Cas 78 DECISION : Cross Claim dismissed