Australia: Insurance Laws and Products

Trauma insurance, also known as critical illness insurance, provides a financial safety net for policyholders diagnosed with specific serious medical conditions. However, a significant issue undermining the efficacy of trauma insurance in Australia is the reliance on outdated medical definitions. Outdated medical definitions in Insurance policies can lead to denied claims and unmet expectations, creating substantial legal and consumer challenges.

Experienced mediators reveal the critical factors that separate successful mediations from failed ones, from ensuring decision-makers attend to crafting strategic position papers. Learn how proper preparation, face-to-face engagement, and pre-agreed settlement terms can transform mediation from a procedural requirement into an effective dispute resolution tool.

The Australian Financial Complaints Authority has published new guidance clarifying how insurers must handle claims, including strict timeframes and expanded compensation rules. Insurers now face potential liability beyond policy limits for unreasonable delays, and may be required to compensate claimants for non-financial losses. With storm season approaching and complaint volumes rising, these changes create significant operational and financial pressure on the insurance industry.

Since the guide was first published in March 2026, significant developments have emerged across the medical, sporting, regulatory and litigation landscape.

E-bikes and e-scooters are transforming urban transport in Australia, but what happens when accidents occur? This article examines the complex compensation challenges facing injured riders and pedestrians, revealing significant gaps in insurance coverage and exploring recent legislative changes that may leave victims without the protections available in traditional motor vehicle accidents.

Builder insolvency has become increasingly common across Australia’s residential construction sector. In the 2023–2024 financial year, almost 3,000 construction companies entered external administration, representing about 27% of all corporate insolvencies in Australia.

When your home is damaged, life is suddenly upended. There’s the immediate stress of staying safe, looking after your family, and protecting your belongings from further harm. The last thing you feel like doing is dealing with paperwork.

The Financial Services Royal Commission uncovered serious deficiencies in Australia's trauma insurance sector, revealing how complex policy terms, problematic sales practices, and unfair claims handling have left many policyholders vulnerable. With eight out of ten life insurers admitting failures in updating medical definitions, the Commission's findings expose systemic issues that continue to affect claimants seeking critical illness coverage.

A recent Personal Injury Commission decision examines when surveillance footage can be admitted in psychiatric injury claims, potentially lowering the threshold for insurers to introduce evidence that may not fully capture the complex, fluctuating nature of psychological impairment. The ruling raises important questions about how claimants should document their limitations and whether ordinary daily activities will increasingly be characterized as inconsistencies warranting surveillance admission.