Transpower Group Action
Omni Bridgeway has agreed to fund a class action in New Zealand, brought by specialist litigation firms LeeSalmonLong and Piper Alderman, arising out of a significant power outage affecting the Northland region. The claim is against:
- Transpower New Zealand Limited (Transpower), the state-owned enterprise that operates the national electricity grid in New Zealand; and
- Electrix Limited (trading as Omexom) (Omexom), a contractor engaged to perform maintenance work on the electricity tower the subject of the claim.
Affected businesses are invited to sign up to the class action using the details below.
Background
Transpower is a state-owned enterprise responsible for electricity transmission in New Zealand and maintaining transmission assets. Omexom is a longstanding contractor of Transpower, providing engineering, construction and maintenance services.
On 20 June 2024, a transmission tower that Omexom was conducting maintenance work on, fell to the ground as a result of human error resulting in a widespread power outage to the Northland region. Full power was not restored for 2-3 days, however, some businesses may have experienced the power outage longer.
Open Class Action
This claim will run as an opt-out (open class) basis. A class action is a court proceeding in which a group with similar claims collectively sues one or more defendants.
The court proceeding is brought by a representative plaintiff on behalf of the entire class. The cause of action against both defendants is in negligence. As against Transpower, the claim is that Transpower was negligent in its supervisory role of the maintenance of the tower. As against Omexom, the claim is that it was negligent in the maintenance work it undertook on the tower.
Class Action Eligibility
All businesses in the Northland region who suffered losses as a result of the power outage on 20 June 2024 are invited to register their claim with Omni Bridgeway.
How Much Will It Cost To Be A Part Of The Class Action
The class action is being funded by Omni Bridgeway on a “no win, no pay” basis in accordance with the terms of a funding agreement or terms imposed by the Court. If the class action is successfully resolved and there is a recovery of compensation, Omni Bridgeway will be entitled to reimbursement of the costs it has spent plus a commission from such recovery only.
There are no ‘out of pocket’ costs for class members to pay. Class members do not have to pay anything in the event that the class action is unsuccessful, as Omni Bridgeway agrees to pay any legal costs that might be awarded to Transpower, Omexom, or any other defendant.
How Do I Participate In The Class Action?
It is intended that the class action will be run on an “opt-out” basis, which means that all affected individuals are included in the class action unless they choose to “opt-out”. You do not need to enter into a funding agreement to participate in the class action, but we invite you to register your interest now.
If you register your interest in the class action, you will receive updates as the class action progresses. Registration is free and without obligation. Merely registering your interest via this website does not bind you to any contract or commitment.
To register your interest, you can do so by clicking on the “Register your Interest” button below. Alternatively, you can contact the Omni Bridgeway Client Liaison Team in our Perth office by email on [email protected] or call +61 8 9225 2322.