Several important laws concerning accidents involving self-insured vehicles (House Bill 125) and disclosure of insurance coverage in claims involving vehicle accidents (Senate Bill 599) became effective on October 1, 2011. A summary of the new laws are as follows:

Accidents Involving Self-Insured Vehicles (House Bill 125)

The driver of a self-insured vehicle involved in an accident is required to give evidence of self-insurance in the form required by the Motor Vehicle Administration to specified persons including the other driver, any person injured in the accident, and any police officer who is at the scene or otherwise investigating the accident. The evidence of self-insurance must include the name, address, and self-insurance certificate number of the self-insurer; the name, address, and telephone number of the self-insurer’s third-party administrator for third-party adjuster; and the vehicle identification number of the self-insured vehicle.

Disclosure of Insurance Coverage in Claims Involving Vehicle Accidents (Senate Bill 599 and House Bill 921)

After a claimant files a written claim concerning a vehicle accident and provides the following information, the claimant may obtain from the insurance company documentation of the applicable limits of coverage in any insurance agreement under which the insurance company may be liable to satisfy all or part of the claim or indemnify or reimburse for payments made to satisfy the claim:

1. the date of the vehicle accident;
2. the name and last known address of the alleged tortfeasor;
3. a copy of the vehicle accident report, if available;
4. the insurer’s claim number, if available;
5. the claimant’s health care bills and documentation of the claimant’s loss of income, if any, resulting from the vehicle accident; and
6. the records of health care treatment for the claimant’s injuries caused by the vehicle accident.

The insurance company must provide the information within 30 days after the date of the claimant’s request regardless of whether the insurance company contests the applicability of coverage to a claim.

If you or a loved one has been injured as a result of someone else’s negligence, please contact the attorneys at Patel & Williams, PLLC for a free initial consultation.