Limitation periods in insurance and reinsurance: accrual, extensions, standstills, contribution, subrogation and special statutory regimes (England and Wales)

Published by a LexisNexis Insurance & Reinsurance expert

Practice notes

This Practice Note offers guidance on applying limitation periods to insurance and reinsurance claims. It addresses how to determine when a cause of action arises and what follows once a limitation period has lapsed. It also explains routes to extend time, including the use of standstill agreements. In addition, it examines limitation periods and other key deadlines in special situations, such as contribution claims...

Introduction

In England and Wales, the Limitation Act 1980 (LA 1980) sets the time limits for specific claims. See Practice Note: Limitation-the principal limitation periods for a summary of that statute and how it has been read by the courts. Claims involving insurers and reinsurers face the same time bars, yet features of insurance and reinsurance contracts, and London market practice more broadly, have generated limitation questions addressed here...

This Practice Note covers:

Pinpointing accrual of the cause of action in insurer-related claims
Methods for extending limitation periods
Standstill arrangements
Contribution proceedings
Exceptional scenarios
Other significant time limits
Consequences of expiry of a limitation period

Calculating when the cause of action...

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Fleur Rochester

Kennedys

Fleur is a Partner in the Professional Liability team at Kennedys, based in London. Fleur acts for insurers in both coverage and defence. ...

Jordan Leech

Kennedys

Jordan is an associate in the Professional Liability team at Kennedys, based in Leeds. Jordan acts for Insurers in both defence and coverage across a range of matters including in respect of legal professionals, design and construction professionals, IT professionals and surveyors. A notable recent case includes the successful strike out of a multi-million pound claim against a solicitor’s firm on several grounds, including that the professional negligence claim was an abuse of process....

Ash Daniells

Kennedys

Ash is a legal director in Kennedys’ Bristol office who is a professional liability specialist.Acting predominantly for professional services firms, Ash specialises in the defence of professionals, particularly financial services professionals, brokers and solicitors.Ash has extensive expertise handling complex claims and those involving multiple parties. He also advises insurers in relation to coverage issues arising under professional liability and financial lines involving international jurisdictions....

Web page updated on 28/05/2026

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