SOUTHERN RESPONSE CLASS ACTION

MEDIA RELEASE - Monday 30 January 2017

Southern Response today announced it has filed an appeal against Justice Gendall's recent High Court decision allowing the class action to proceed.

Grant Cameron, Solicitor for the members of the class action advised that this "Was another attempt by the insurer to delay the inevitable". He noted that "the insurer is disingenuous in its claims that the class action might delay settlements because the insurer is perfectly able to a settle the vast majority of all member's claims right here and noW. For the majority of the group's claims, the insurer has been given ample expert evidence showing What the settlement values are, and all delay is as a result of insurer intransigence" he said.

"Indeed, the evidence illustrates that Southern Response has been maintaining a deliberate strategy directed at minimising policyholder's claims. We can only Speculate that it has chosen to appeal the recent judgment to buy it more time, in the hope it might Settle many other claims for undervalue, before the court has a chance to rule on the fundamental issues".

"We consider it absurd for the insurer to publicly claim that it remains committed to working to Settle claims fairly and as quickly as possible, When after 6 years hundreds remain unsettled", said Mr Cameron.

"Contrary to its claims of no evidence to support its alleged strategy of deliberately minimising claims, the Court has now cleared the Way for the class action to proceed, and copious quantities of such evidence will be presented in due course".

"It's Clear that the Courts are far more receptive to the progression of class actions and the need for Citizens to have access to justice. As the rate at Which these claims are resolved for the many hundreds Still Waiting lies entirely Within the insurer's control, the group looks forward to the Court's intervention and assistance."

"More particularly, We are thrilled that the court recognises that access to justice is very difficult or impossible outside the ambit of a class action and that it has directed that other policyholders Who have not yet joined the action, may now do so providing they come forward before 16 April. We are sure that the action will now grow rapidly", said Mr Cameron.

"We look forward to discussing the options With the many hundreds of unsettled claimants Who cannot afford to get fair settlements on their own and Who continue to be frustrated by the insurer's raft of tactics to minimise settlements".

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