Connect with meAnna has practiced in the area of insurance law and related litigation for over a decade and specialises in the defence of claims involving public liability, workplace and transport accidents, as well as property damage. She also has expertise advising insurer clients on policy construction, coverage disputes and dual insurance claims which arise in broad form liability, professional indemnity and consumer insurance contracts.
She is regularly engaged by local and international insurers to defend claims where she acts on behalf of property owners, SMEs, builders, sub-contractors and manufacturers. Anna invests her time in understanding the commercial drivers and nuances of her clients. She is known for delivering collaborative, commercially driven and pragmatic litigation strategies.
In her prior roles, Anna acted for a number of leading life insurers and group life superannuation trustees defending a wide range of life and disability claims, as well as regulatory actions brought by government agencies. She also has experience in defending professional negligence claims brought against health professionals, engineers, real estate agents and financial advisers.
Anna appears for her clients in the Federal Court, Victorian Supreme Court, County Court, Magistrates’ Court and VCAT. She has also defended claims brought in Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia and Tasmania.
Worker Claims and Motor Accident Claims
- Acting for host employers in common law and statutory recovery actions brought by labour hire workers and the VWA under the AC Act and WIRC Act.
Personal Injury
- Acting on behalf of a homeowner whose guest suffered catastrophic injuries whilst at a party. Contributory negligence was contested due to the intoxication of the guest.
- Acting on behalf of the insurer of a sporting shooters club and one of its members who accidentally shot and killed a member of a hunting party. Liability was not contested but Anna was able to successfully pursue a dual insurance claim against the member’s home and contents insurer.
- Acting on behalf of camping and holiday park operators in claims brought by guests using facilities such as swimming pools and jumping pillows.
Indemnity
- Advising insurers on coverage issues, policy interpretation and dual insurance claims.
- Acting for a general insurer in an indemnity dispute brought by an insured whose property was destroyed by fire following a suspected arson.
Investigations, Inquiries and Prosecutions
- Acting on behalf of a life insurer in defence of a civil prosecution launched by ASIC.
- Representing allied health practitioners in investigations commenced by AHPRA.
Life Insurance
- Acting for life insurers in proceedings involving fraudulent misrepresentation and substantial non-disclosure by claimants of their medical history when applying for TPD and income protection cover, including in a group scheme.
- Advising a life insurer on its liability to make payments under an income protection policy which covered a medical practitioner who alleged he was unable to work due to an illness.
- Providing advice to a general insurer on TPD claims arising from group accident & health policies.
- Successfully defending appeals brought in the Federal Court against AFCA determinations which had been made in the insurer’s favour.
- Accident, Health and Travel Claims
- Personal Injury
- Product Liability and Recall
- Property Damage
- Construction and Infrastructure
- Financial Institutions and Services
- Healthcare and Life Sciences
- Public Sector and Education
- Retail and Labour Hire
- Small Medium Enterprises (SMEs)
- Australian Insurance Law Association
- Women in Insurance