Reporting a claim
New claims must be reported to Skuld as soon as the member receives knowledge about an incident that may give rise to a claim.

Due to the severe consequences of late reporting, if members are in doubt whether or not to report a potential claim, they are strongly recommended to do so. Skuld’s general time bar provision gives a time limit of six months (rule 36 and 37).

P&I claims
The most common categories of P&I claims are

• dry and wet cargo claims
• personal injuries and crew claims
• pollution claims

Within Skuld all types of P&I claims are handled by the respective syndicate. A practical, hands-on approach to claims handling is supported by legal expertise. High authority limits and short lines of command provide for swift decision making, minimising the impact of claims on members’ trading.

Closeness to members
Claims below USD 50,000 represent the vast majority of all claims reported to Skuld. Our approach is to handle such claims in the most cost effective way, i.e. within our own organisation, and in co-operation with the member. The best result is often achieved by combining Skuld’s expertise within legal and technical issues with the member’s own knowledge of his specific trade.

Marine insurance matters may be extremely complex, involving legal processes dictated by national or international maritime law. When complicated situations such as arrests or major casualties arise, a Skuld member can draw on the services of our experienced, highly skilled legal teams. Also in these matters, a close working relationship between Skuld and the member is often of vital importance.

Keeping costs down
Surveyors or correspondents may be needed to collect important evidence or to provide other assistance on the premises of an incident, while external lawyers may have invaluable input contributing to defend member’s interests.

However, Skuld has a policy of keeping external claims handling costs at a minimum. Before a lawyer is instructed, the member should always contact us in order to obtain an approval that Skuld will cover the legal costs.