O'Neill v FSS Trustee Corporation as Trustee of the First State Superannuation Scheme & Anor [2015] NSWSC 1248

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: O'Neill v FSS Trustee Corporation as Trustee of the First State Superannuation Scheme & Anor [2015] NSWSC 1248 Hearing dates: 12 June 2015 Date of orders: 31 August 2015 Decision date: 31 August 2015 Jurisdiction: Equity Before: Slattery J Decision: Summons dismissed with costs. Catchwords: CIVIL PROCEDURE – application for preliminary discovery – potential claim for interest under Insurance Contracts Act 1984 (Cth) s 57 – where insurer has paid insured under TPD life insurance policy – what evidence may assist in determining entitlement to a s 57 claim – whether or not the insured is unable to obtain sufficient information to decide whether to commence proceedings against the insurer – whether the insurer's file will assist the insured to decide whether to commence proceedings Legislation Cited: Insurance Contracts Act 1984 (Cth), s 57 Superannuation Industry (Supervision) Act 1993 (Cth), s 52 Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005, rr 5.3, 49.19 Cases Cited: Fitzgerald v CBL Insurance Ltd [2014] VSC 493 Fitzgerald v CBL Insurance Ltd (No 2) [2015] VSC 176 Hannover Life Re of Australasia Ltd v Sayseng [2005] NSWCA 214 Hatfield v TCN Channel 9 Pty Ltd (2010) 77 NSWLR 506 HIH Casualty & General Insurance Ltd v Insurance Australia Ltd (No 2) [2006] VSC 128 Hawkins v Barkley-Brown [2010] NSWSC 48 In the Will of Sheppard [1972] 2 NSWLR 714 Max Hams Pty Limited v CGU Insurance Ltd [2002] NSWSC 843 NRMA Insurance Ltd v Tatt (1989) 92 ALR 299 QBE Insurance Ltd v Nguyen (2008) 100 SASR 560 Sayseng v Kellogg Superannuation Pty Ltd (2007) 213 FLR 174 Settlement Wine Co Pty Ltd v National & General Insurance Co Ltd (1994) 62 SASR 40 St George Bank Ltd v Rabo Australia Ltd (2004) 211 ALR 147 Thompson v NSW Land and Housing Corp (No 3) [2013] NSWSC 1658 Tomko v Palasty (No 2) (2007) 71 NSWLR 61 VL Credits Pty Ltd v Switzerland General Insurance Co Ltd [1991] 2 VR 311 Wentworth v Graham (2002) 55 NSWLR 638 Westpac Banking Corp v Abemond Pty Ltd (Supreme Coutr (NSW), Santow J, 28 October 1994, unreported) Category: Procedural and other rulings Parties: Applicant: Allan Michael O'Neill First Respondent: FSS Trustee Corporation as Trustee of the First State Superannuation Scheme ABN 11 118 202 672 Second Respondent: Metlife Insurance Limited ABN 75 004 274 882 Representation: Counsel: Applicant: B. Rayment QC; D. O'Dowd Second Respondent: J. Duncan; J. Mack