NATIONAL VULCAN ENGINEERING INSURANCE GROUP LTD.V. PENTAX PTY. LIMITED T/AS LIF-RIG & ANOR [2004] NSWCA 218

New South Wales Court of Appeal

CITATION : NATIONAL VULCAN ENGINEERING INSURANCE GROUP LTD.V. PENTAX PTY. LIMITED T/AS LIF-RIG & ANOR [2004] NSWCA 218 HEARING DATE(S) : 7 May 2004 JUDGMENT DATE : 16 July 2004

JUDGMENT OF : Handley JA at 1; Hodgson JA at 2; Campbell AJA at 14 DECISION : Appeal is dismissed with costs

CATCHWORDS : CATCHWORDS: APPEAL – CONSTRUCTION CONTRACTS – INSURANCE – SUBCONTRACTORS – INDEMNITY CLAUSES – EXCLUSIONS – PERSONAL INJURY – CROSS-LIABILITY – CONTRIBUTION – APPEAL DISMISSED – Appeal from decision of trial judge concerning a plaintiff's alleged injury leaving the workplace – trial judge awarded the plaintiff common law damages (split equally) against the first respondent (the plaintiff's employer and the second respondent's sub-contractor) and against the second respondent (the site occupier and head-contractor) – both respondents issued cross-claims against each other for contribution and indemnity pursuant to s 5(1)(c) Law Reform (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1946 – second respondent also claims on an alleged indemnity clause (7) in the subcontract with the first respondent – the first respondent in turn seeks indemnification from the appellant (under s C of the appellant's insurance policy) of any additional amount it might be ordered to pay the second respondent – whether indemnity clause (7) is wide enough to cover second respondent's own negligence or other fault – definition and scope of terms including 'all sums' and 'for or in respect of...' Held: Appeal dismissed with costs. LEGISLATION CITED : Compensation to Relatives Act 1897 Allianz Australia Limited v Wentworthville Real Estate Pty Limited (2004) NSWCA 100. C. E. Heath Underwriting and Insurance (Australia) Pty Ltd v Edwards Dunlop (1993) 176 CLR 535 Club Motor Insurance Agency Pty Ltd v Sargent (1969) 118 CLR 658 Commonwealth Construction Co. Ltd v Imperial Oil Ltd (1977) 69 DLR (3d) 558 Davis v Commissioner for Mainroads (1968) 117 CLR 529 Genders v The Government Insurance Office of NSW (1958) 60 SR (NSW) 130 Genders v Government Insurance Office of NSW (1959) 102 CLR 363 Government Insurance Office of New South Wales v R.G. Green & Lloyd Pty Limited (1966) 114 CLR 437 Johnson v American Home Assurance Company (1998) 192 CLR 266 McCann v Switzerland Insurance Australia Ltd (2000) 203 CLR 579 CASES CITED : Nigel Watts Fashion Agencies Pty Limited v GIO General Limited (1995) 8 ANZ Ins Cas [61-235] Rheem Australia v Manufacturers' Mutual Insurance Ltd (1984) 2 NSWLR 370 Rolls Royce Industrial Power (Pacific) Limited v James Hardie and Co Pty Ltd (2001) 53 NSWLR 626. Schipp v Cameron (unreported, NSWSC 9 July 1998) State Government Insurance Office (Queensland) v. Brisbane Stevedoring Proprietary Limited (1969) 123 CLR 228 State Government Insurance Office (Qld) v Crittenden (1966) 117 CLR 412 Transfield Pty Limited v National Vulcan Engineering Insurance Group Limited [2002] NSWSC 830 Transfield and Speno Rail Maintenance Australia Pty Ltd v Hammersley Iron Pty Ltd and Zurich Australia Insurance Ltd (2000) 23 WAR 291 Trustees Executors & Agency Co. Ltd. v Reilly [1941] VLR 110 Unsworth v Commissioner for Railways (1958) 101 CLR 73 Valkonen & Anor v Jennings Constructions Limited & Ors (1995) 184 LSJS 87; National Vulcan Engineering Insurance Group Ltd : Appellant PARTIES : Pentax Pty Limited t/as Lif-Rig: First Respondent Multiplex Constructions Pty Limited: Second Respondent FILE NUMBER(S) : CA 40486/03 Mr P Garling SC/ Ms K Morgan for the Appellant COUNSEL : Mr J Marshall SC/ D Weinberger for the Second Respondent. No appearance for the First Respondent Moray & Agnew for the Appellant SOLICITORS : Gells for the First Respondent Phillips Fox for the Second Respondent