Reassuring customers concerning the limitation period

Southern Response announced today that it will not rely on a limitation defence for claims arising out of the Canterbury earthquakes for any proceedings filed in Court before 4 September 2018 – that is, eight years after the first Canterbury earthquake.

You may have recently heard some commentary regarding the limitation period. This refers to the length of time that insurers’ customers have to bring court proceedings challenging the settlement of their earthquake claim. Some commentators have argued that under the Limitation Acts, customers may not be able to bring court proceedings after 4 September 2016.

As we stated in late December 2015, we have been reviewing our position regarding the Limitation Acts and what it means for our customers. We are pleased to announce today that we will not rely on a limitation defence for claims arising out of the Canterbury earthquakes for any Court proceedings that are filed before 4 September 2018. This is two years after the earliest possible date on which a limitation defence could be raised.

Our decision not to rely on a limitation defence until 4 September 2018 has been made in the interests of our customers. We want to reassure you that you can continue to work directly with us to settle your claim, rather than feel pressured to file lengthy and costly Court proceedings.

We are committed to working with all of our customers to settle claims. Our focus is to support you to do this in a fair and transparent manner, while ensuring that you are not disadvantaged by the limitations legislation.

If you have any queries or concerns, please contact your Claims Specialist or any of our team members. Further information can also be found here on our website, including our “Steps to resolution” brochure and key contacts.