Superior Court holds that three year statute of limitations applies to post-arbitration interest on uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage

In Meaney v. OneBeacon Ins. Co., 2010 WL 1253600 (Mass. Super.), brought to my attention by Mike Tracy of Rudolph Friedmann LLP, the plaintiffs sought post-arbitration interest from the defendant insurance companies in the context of uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage. In an earlier decision the Superior Court had ruled that they were entitled to such interest under common law.

In the current decision Judge Neel ruled that, like all 93A claims, the claim for violation of Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 93A was governed by a four year statute of limitations.

The court held that the gist of the common law counts were tort claims, not contract claims, so that the three year statute of limitations for torts applied to them.