Insurers claim second round in court stoush

INSURERS have crunched a win in the second bruising round of court fights over pandemic-related claims, but an appeal is already set down and many are warning the fight is not over yet.

The win in the Federal Court saw Justice Jayne Jagot leave the door open for one insured business to argue to claim for losses caused by the pandemic.

The outcome may avert billions of dollars in losses for insurers after months of skirmishing between sides seeking the industry to pay for pandemic losses.

But an appeal of Justice Jagot’s judgment is already set down for November, in the second round of the second test case in business interruption insurance which will see Star Entertainment also join the growing legal fight.

The industry had been dragged to the Federal Court after an earlier loss in the NSW Supreme Court that found a drafting error across the industry opened the door to pandemic claims. Insurers lost the first test case, which was rushed to a full hearing before the full NSW court of appeal.