Insurance giant Suncorp fights multimillion dollar claim by family of victim in triple-fatal horror

Insurance giant Suncorp has issued a brutal response to the family of one of three people killed in a horror crash involving Payne Haas’ mum.

The horror crash that killed Chris Fawcett, 79, his partner Susan Zimmer, 70, and her daughter Steffi, 35. Picture: Sam Stolz

Insurance giant Suncorp is fighting a multimillion dollar claim by the family of one of three people killed in a horror crash involving the mother of Brisbane Broncos star Payne Haas – arguing their psychiatric injuries aren’t as bad as they say.

Retired doctor Chris Fawcett, 79, died in the fiery crash, alongside his partner Susan Zimmer, 70, and her daughter Steffi, 35, at Bonogin in the Gold Coast hinterland in December 2022.

Haas’ mother, Uiatu “Joan” Taufua, is facing charges of manslaughter, dangerous driving, drink-driving, unlicensed driving and evading police over the tragedy.

Police have alleged that Taufua was fleeing police when her Mercedes SUV ploughed into an oncoming car carrying the Zimmers and Dr Fawcett. All three died at the scene, while Taufua was the only survivor.

Uiatu "Joan" Taufua, mother of Brisbane Broncos star Payne Haas, outside court in 2019.

The Sunday Mail revealed last month that two of Mr Fawcett’s adult children, Linda and Joanna Fawcett, had lodged Supreme Court damages claims against Taufua and Suncorp.

New court documents have revealed that both women are claiming a total of more than $3m and that Suncorp is defending the claims.

Lawyers for the Fawcett siblings say they both had a “close and loving” relationship with their father and suffered “shock and an adverse psychological reaction” upon learning of his death.

Joanna suffered from chronic post-traumatic stress disorder and major depressive order while Linda was left with mixed anxiety and depression as well as an alcohol abuse disorder, the claims state.

They allege the siblings’ psychiatric injuries were due to Taufua failing to drive with due care and attention and failing to exercise proper care and control of her vehicle.

Joana is claiming about $1.69m in damages while her sister is claiming about $1.34m, including damages for past and future economic loss and care.

In a defence to the claims, Suncorp admitted it had accepted full liability for the crash but denied the women were entitled to damages or alternatively, that their claim was “disproportionate”.

Susan Zimmer (right) and her daughter Steffi.

Chris Fawcett.

Suncorp conceded both women sustained “moderate mental disorder” but dismissed many of the women’s claims as “untrue and contrary to evidence”, describing their $18,300 claims for general damages as “excessive, unreasonably and wholly disproportionate to the nature and extent of (their) injuries and the evidence”.

Taufua has not yet lodged a defence to the claims.

She has been behind bars on remand since the crash and is due to face a committal hearing in November.

Social media profiles reveal Linda and Joanna both live in Western Australia where Dr Fawcett was also from. His children told of their heartbreak in a touching Facebook tribute to him before his ashes were scattered in the ocean at Bunker Bay off the WA coast in January last year.

They said he was meant to visit his three daughters and grandchildren in WA, just weeks after the crash.

“We wish we’d had a chance to see you to say goodbye and feel cheated as your visit was so near,” his children wrote.

“We are deeply saddened that we just missed this opportunity to spend time with him and will never be able to see him again.

“We feel grateful for the recent phone conversations and for Susie teaching Dad how to finally use text messaging, which enabled us much more contact over the last year.

“He played chess online with his youngest grandchildren and unfortunately the latest game remains unfinished.

“We dearly hope that Dad is at peace and finding comfort with his daughter Edyn, who gained her angel wings as a child, and his partner Susie.”

Gregor Johann Haas under, arrest in the Philippines.

The lawsuits are the latest blow for the Haas family after Payne’s father, Gregor Haas, was arrested in the Philippines over an alleged ice smuggling plot in Indonesia linked to Mexico’s infamous Sinaloa drug cartel.

Mr Haas, 47, has been in prison in Manila since his arrest in May after Indonesian police alleged he was linked to the importation of 5kg of methamphetamine in a shipment of tiles from Mexico.

Indonesia last month pledged not to execute Haas in a bid to have him extradited there to face drug trafficking charges. He is facing other unrelated charges in the Philippines.