Southern Response ‘Strategy’ Back on Trial

MEDIA RELEASE – Wednesday 28 June 2017

In December 2016, the High court granted an application brought by a group of policyholders to proceed with representative action against government owned insurer, Southern Response.

Policyholders were very pleased because without court support for the class action they wouldn’t have the ability to obtain their fair policy entitlements.

Although court decision seemed clear, Southern Response decided to appeal to the Court of Appeal. The appeal will be heard on Wednesday 5 July in Wellington where the Group’s allegation that Southern Response has been maintaining a deliberate strategy to minimise payments to policyholders will return to the public stage.

Grant Cameron, Solicitor for the group said “the group remains very concerned that they get access to the courts as without that, they feel they will never obtain justice”.

“The group feels very strongly that the insurer is using the appeal as a way to maintain pressure on them to accept less than their policies require the insurer to pay, and it’s a cynical way of putting of the final day of reckoning”.

For more information about how Southern Response is tactically seeking to minimise claims, check the 65 common issue examples set out in these recent Blogs:

http://srca.co.nz/blog/new-phase-time-to-register

http://www.srca.co.nz/blog/back-in-court

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