Friday, January 16, 2009

End of an Era -- The Last Hours of New York's No Prejudice Rule

Tomorrow at midnight, New York will join the ranks of other jurisdictions in which liability insurers must prove prejudice from delayed reporting of liability claims. The changes that Chapter 388 of the Laws of 2008 make to New York's Insurance Law take effect tomorrow, January 17, 2009.

WHAT ARE THESE CHANGES?

What changes are those, you ask? Essentially there are three:
  1. Direct DJ Actions Allowed: Personal injury or wrongful death plaintiffs may commence and maintain declaratory judgment actions directly against liability insurers that have disclaimed liability or denied coverage based on late notice. Such DJ actions are limited to the question of late notice, and a plaintiff no longer will need to obtain a money judgment against the insured in order to maintain such a DJ action to challenge the insurer's late notice disclaimer.

  2. Prejudice Required: The failure to give any required notice within the time period that a policy prescribes will not invalidate any liability coverage claim made by any insured, injured person or any other claimant, unless the failure to provide timely notice has prejudiced the insurer. In DJ litigation over a late notice disclaimer, "the insurer's rights shall not be deemed prejudiced unless the failure to timely provide notice materially impairs the ability of the insurer to investigate or defend the claim." Prejudice will be presumed "if, prior to notice, the insured's liability has been determined by a court of competent jurisdiction or by binding arbitration; or if the insured has resolved the claim or suit by settlement or other compromise." If the notice was provided within two years of the loss or occurrence, the burden will be on the insurer to prove that is was prejudiced; if the notice was delayed by more than two years, the burden will be on the insured, injured person or other claimant to prove the insurer was not prejudiced.

  3. Disclosure of Liability Coverage & Limits Required: Upon written request, auto and personal liability (homeowners, renters, etc.) insurers will have 60 days to: (1) confirm the existence of liability coverage in effect on the date of the alleged occurrence; and (2) disclose the liability coverage limits of such policies. This new requirement does not apply to excess liability or umbrella policies, whether personal or commercial lines in nature. It also ostensibly does not apply to commercial liability policies, unless they are "used to satisfy a financial responsibility requirement imposed by law of regulation."
WHEN AND HOW DO THESE CHANGES BECOME EFFECTIVE?

When and how do these changes become effective, you ask? In relevant part, Section 8 of the bill states:
This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after it shall have become a law, and shall apply to policies issued or delivered in this state on or after such date and to any action maintained under such a policy[.]
Tomorrow is Day 180, and this section would seem to limit the entire "act" and its changes to policies "issued or delivered in this state" as of tomorrow, January 17, 2009. Expect there to be some litigation, however, over whether these new rules and requirements -- especially the the direct DJ right and coverage/limits disclosure rule -- apply immediately, even to policies issued or delivered before tomorrow. A strong argument can be made from the language of Section 8 of Chapter 388 that they do not.

The new prejudice requirement is clearly policy language driven, so there shouldn't be much dispute that it will only apply to qualifying policies issued or delivered on and after January 17, 2009. Not the loss date and not the disclaimer date. The policy inception or renewal date. Prejudice will be relevant only to late notice disclaimers of coverage under qualifying liability policies that have an inception or renewal date of January 17, 2009 or later.

To the extent that the new direct DJ right and coverage/limits disclosure requirement are statute driven (CPLR § 3001 and Insurance Law § 3420[d][1]), however, it is likely some will argue that those changes take effect tomorrow and apply regardless of the subject policy's inception or renewal date. I believe the above-quoted language of section 8 of the act indicates otherwise and strongly supports an argument that even those changes apply only to DJ actions brought and coverage requests made under qualifying liability policies issued or delivered on or after January 17, 2009. Liability insurers doing business in New York should consider this issue and choose what effective date and mechanism they will use in responding to direct late notice DJ actions commenced and requests for coverage/limits information received after today.

In determining whether the "new" rules or "old" rules apply, New York liability insurers should first determine the inception or renewal date of the policy under which the claim is made or information is sought. If that date is before Janaury 17, 2009, the "old" rules apply. In cases where these new rules apply, it goes without saying that there will be ample litigation over what constitutes prejudice and when a liability insurer's ability to investigate or defend a claim has been "materially impaired". These new rules do not, however, apply to late notice of first-party property coverage losses and claims. Or to no-fault losses or claims.

HOW WILL THE AMENDED STATUTORY SECTIONS READ?

During this transition period, the websites or services from which you obtain your New York statutory language may include asterisked "effective until..." and "effective..." notes and sections. Here's how the affected statutory sections will read as of tomorrow, January 17, 2009:

CPLR § 3001

§ 3001. Declaratory judgment.
The supreme court may render a declaratory judgment having the effect of a final judgment as to the rights and other legal relations of the parties to a justiciable controversy whether or not further relief is or could be claimed. If the court declines to render such a judgment it shall state its grounds. A party who has brought a claim for personal injury or wrongful death against another party may maintain a declaratory judgment action directly against the insurer of such other party, as provided in paragraph six of subsection (a) of section three thousand four hundred twenty of the insurance law.

INSURANCE LAW § 3420

§ 3420. Liability insurance; standard provisions; right of injured person.

(a) No policy or contract insuring against liability for injury to person, except as provided in subsection (g) of this section, or against liability for injury to, or destruction of, property shall be issued or delivered in this state, unless it contains in substance the following provisions or provisions that are equally or more favorable to the insured and to judgment creditors so far as such provisions relate to judgment creditors:

(1) A provision that the insolvency or bankruptcy of the person insured, or the insolvency of the insured's estate, shall not release the insurer from the payment of damages for injury sustained or loss occasioned during the life of and within the coverage of such policy or contract.

(2) A provision that in case judgment against the insured or the insured's personal representative in an action brought to recover damages for injury sustained or loss or damage occasioned during the life of the policy or contract shall remain unsatisfied at the expiration of thirty days from the serving of notice of entry of judgment upon the attorney for the insured, or upon the insured, and upon the insurer, then an action may, except during a stay or limited stay of execution against the insured on such judgment, be maintained against the insurer under the terms of the policy or contract for the amount of such judgment not exceeding the amount of the applicable limit of coverage under such policy or contract.

(3) A provision that notice given by or on behalf of the insured, or written notice by or on behalf of the injured person or any other claimant, to any licensed agent of the insurer in this state, with particulars sufficient to identify the insured, shall be deemed notice to the insurer.

(4) A provision that failure to give any notice required to be given by such policy within the time prescribed therein shall not invalidate any claim made by the insured, an injured person or any other claimant if it shall be shown not to have been reasonably possible to give such notice within the prescribed time and that notice was given as soon as was reasonably possible thereafter.

(5) A provision that failure to give any notice required to be given by such policy within the time prescribed therein shall not invalidate any claim made by the insured, injured person or any other claimant, unless the failure to provide timely notice has prejudiced the insurer, except as provided in paragraph four of this subsection. With respect to a claims-made policy, however, the policy may provide that the claim shall be made during the policy period, any renewal thereof, or any extended reporting period, except as provided in paragraph four of this subsection. As used in this paragraph, the terms "claims-made policy" and "extended reporting period" shall have their respective meanings as provided in a regulation promulgated by the superintendent.

(6) A provision that, with respect to a claim arising out of death or personal injury of any person, if the insurer disclaims liability or denies coverage based upon the failure to provide timely notice, then the injured person or other claimant may maintain an action directly against such insurer, in which the sole question is the insurer's disclaimer or denial based on the failure to provide timely notice, unless within sixty days following such disclaimer or denial, the insured or the insurer: (A) initiates an action to declare the rights of the parties under the insurance policy; and (B) names the injured person or other claimant as a party to the action.

(b) Subject to the limitations and conditions of paragraph two of subsection (a) of this section, an action may be maintained by the following persons against the insurer upon any policy or contract of liability insurance that is governed by such paragraph, to recover the amount of a judgment against the insured or his personal representative:

(1) any person who, or the personal representative of any person who, has obtained a judgment against the insured or the insured's personal representative, for damages for injury sustained or loss or damage occasioned during the life of the policy or contract;

(2) any person who, or the personal representative of any person who, has obtained a judgment against the insured or the insured's personal representative to enforce a right of contribution or indemnity, or any person subrogated to the judgment creditor's rights under such judgment; and

(3) any assignee of a judgment obtained as specified in paragraph one or paragraph two of this subsection, subject further to the limitation contained in section 13-103 of the general obligations law.

(c) (1) If an action is maintained against an insurer under the provisions of paragraph two of subsection (a) of this section and the insurer alleges in defense that the insured failed or refused to cooperate with the insurer in violation of any provision in the policy or contract requiring such cooperation, then the burden shall be upon the insurer to prove such alleged failure or refusal to cooperate.

(2)(A) In any action in which an insurer alleges that it was prejudiced as a result of a failure to provide timely notice, the burden of proof shall be on: (i) the insurer to prove that it has been prejudiced, if the notice was provided within two years of the time required under the policy; or (ii) the insured, injured person or other claimant to prove that the insurer has not been prejudiced, if the notice was provided more than two years after the time required under the policy.
(B) Notwithstanding subparagraph (A) of this paragraph, an irrebuttable presumption of prejudice shall apply if, prior to notice, the insured's liability has been determined by a court of competent jurisdiction or by binding arbitration; or if the insured has resolved the claim or suit by settlement or other compromise.
(C) The insurer's rights shall not be deemed prejudiced unless the failure to timely provide notice materially impairs the ability of the insurer to investigate or defend the claim.

(d)(1)(A) This paragraph applies with respect to a liability policy that provides coverage with respect to a claim arising out of the death or bodily injury of any person, where the policy is: (i) subject to section three thousand four hundred twenty-five of this article, other than an excess liability or umbrella policy; or (ii) used to satisfy a financial responsibility requirement imposed by law or regulation.
(B) Upon an insurer's receipt of a written request by an injured person who has filed a claim or by another claimant, an insurer shall, within sixty days of receipt of the written request: (i) confirm to the injured person or other claimant in writing whether the insured had a liability insurance policy of the type specified in subparagraph (A) of this paragraph in effect with the insurer on the date of the alleged occurrence; and (ii) specify the liability insurance limits of the coverage provided under the policy.
(C) If the injured person or other claimant fails to provide sufficient identifying information to allow the insurer, in the exercise of reasonable diligence, to identify a liability insurance policy that may be relevant to the claim, the insurer shall within forty-five days of receipt of the written request, so advise the injured person or other claimant in writing and identify for the injured person or other claimant the additional information needed. Within forty-five days of receipt of the additional information, the insurer shall provide the information required under subparagraph (B) of this paragraph.

(2) If under a liability policy issued or delivered in this state, an insurer shall disclaim liability or deny coverage for death or bodily injury arising out of a motor vehicle accident or any other type of accident occurring within this state, it shall give written notice as soon as is reasonably possible of such disclaimer of liability or denial of coverage to the insured and the injured person or any other claimant.

(e) No policy or contract of personal injury liability insurance or of property damage liability insurance, covering liability arising from the ownership, maintenance or operation of any motor vehicle or of any vehicle as defined in section three hundred eighty-eight of the vehicle and traffic law, or an aircraft, or any vessel as defined in section forty-eight of the navigation law, shall be issued or delivered in this state to the owner thereof, or shall be issued or delivered by any authorized insurer upon any such vehicle or aircraft or vessel then principally garaged or principally used in this state, unless it contains a provision insuring the named insured against liability for death or injury sustained, or loss or damage occasioned within the coverage of the policy or contract, as a result of negligence in the operation or use of such vehicle, aircraft or vessel, as the case may be, by any person operating or using the same with the permission, express or implied, of the named insured.

(f) (1) No policy insuring against loss resulting from liability imposed by law for bodily injury or death suffered by any natural person arising out of the ownership, maintenance and use of a motor vehicle by the insured shall be issued or delivered by any authorized insurer upon any motor vehicle then principally garaged or principally used in this state unless it contains a provision whereby the insurer agrees that it will pay to the insured, as defined in such provision, subject to the terms and conditions set forth therein to be prescribed by the board of directors of the Motor Vehicle Accident Indemnification Corporation and approved by the superintendent, all sums, not exceeding a maximum amount or limit of twenty-five thousand dollars exclusive of interest and costs, on account of injury to and all sums, not exceeding a maximum amount or limit of fifty thousand dollars exclusive of interest and costs, on account of death of one person, in any one accident, and the maximum amount or limit, subject to such limit for any one person so injured of fifty thousand dollars or so killed of one hundred thousand dollars, exclusive of interest and costs, on account of injury to, or death of, more than one person in any one accident, which the insured or his legal representative shall be entitled to recover as damages from an owner or operator of an uninsured motor vehicle, unidentified motor vehicle which leaves the scene of an accident, a motor vehicle registered in this state as to which at the time of the accident there was not in effect a policy of liability insurance, a stolen vehicle, a motor vehicle operated without permission of the owner, an insured motor vehicle where the insurer disclaims liability or denies coverage or an unregistered vehicle because of bodily injury, sickness or disease, including death resulting therefrom, sustained by the insured, caused by accident occurring in this state and arising out of the ownership, maintenance or use of such motor vehicle. No payment for non-economic loss shall be made under such policy provision to a covered person unless such person has incurred a serious injury, as such terms are defined in section five thousand one hundred two of this chapter. Such policy shall not duplicate any element of basic economic loss provided for under article fifty-one of this chapter. No payments of first party benefits for basic economic loss made pursuant to such article shall diminish the obligations of the insurer under this policy provision for the payment of non-economic loss and economic loss in excess of basic economic loss. Notwithstanding any inconsistent provisions of section three thousand four hundred twenty-five of this article, any such policy which does not contain the aforesaid provisions shall be construed as if such provisions were embodied therein.

(2) (A) Any such policy shall, at the option of the insured, also provide supplementary uninsured/underinsured motorists insurance for bodily injury, in an amount up to the bodily injury liability insurance limits of coverage provided under such policy, subject to a maximum of two hundred fifty thousand dollars because of bodily injury to or death of one person in any one accident and, subject to such limit for one person, up to five hundred thousand dollars because of bodily injury to or death of two or more persons in any one accident, or a combined single limit policy of five hundred thousand dollars because of bodily injury to or death of one or more persons in any one accident. Provided however, an insurer issuing such policy, in lieu of offering to the insured the coverages stated above, may provide supplementary uninsured/underinsured motorists insurance for bodily injury, in an amount up to the bodily injury liability insurance limits of coverage provided under such policy, subject to a maximum of one hundred thousand dollars because of bodily injury to or death of one person in any one accident and, subject to such limit for one person, up to three hundred thousand dollars because of bodily injury to or death of two or more persons in any one accident, or a combined single limit policy of three hundred thousand dollars because of bodily injury to or death of one or more persons in any one accident, if such insurer also makes available a personal umbrella policy with liability coverage limits up to at least five hundred thousand dollars which also provides coverage for supplementary uninsured/underinsured motorists claims. Supplementary uninsured/underinsured motorists insurance shall provide coverage, in any state or Canadian province, if the limits of liability under all bodily injury liability bonds and insurance policies of another motor vehicle liable for damages are in a lesser amount than the bodily injury liability insurance limits of coverage provided by such policy. Upon written request by any insured covered by supplemental uninsured/underinsured motorists insurance or his duly authorized representative and upon disclosure by the insured of the insured's bodily injury and supplemental uninsured/underinsured motorists insurance coverage limits, the insurer of any other owner or operator of another motor vehicle against which a claim has been made for damages to the insured shall disclose, within forty-five days of the request, the bodily injury liability insurance limits of its coverage provided under the policy or all bodily injury liability bonds. The time of the insured to make any supplementary uninsured/underinsured motorist claim, shall be tolled during the period the insurer of any other owner or operator of another motor vehicle that may be liable for damages to the insured, fails to so disclose its coverage. As a condition precedent to the obligation of the insurer to pay under the supplementary uninsured/underinsured motorists insurance coverage, the limits of liability of all bodily injury liability bonds or insurance policies applicable at the time of the accident shall be exhausted by payment of judgments or settlements.
(B) In addition to the notice provided, upon issuance of a policy of motor vehicle liability insurance pursuant to regulations promulgated by the superintendent, insurers shall notify insureds, in writing, of the availability of supplementary uninsured/underinsured motorists coverage. Such notification shall contain an explanation of supplementary uninsured/underinsured motorists coverage and the amounts in which it can be purchased. Subsequently, a notification of availability shall be provided at least once a year and may be simplified pursuant to regulations promulgated by the superintendent, but must include a concise statement that supplementary uninsured/underinsured motorists coverage is available, an explanation of such coverage, and the coverage limits that can be purchased from the insurer.

(3) The protection provided by this subsection shall not apply to any cause of action by an insured person arising out of a motor vehicle accident occurring in this state against a person whose identity is unascertainable, unless the bodily injury to the insured person arose out of physical contact of the motor vehicle causing the injury with the insured person or with a motor vehicle which the insured person was occupying (meaning in or upon or entering into or alighting from) at the time of the accident.

(4) An insurer shall give notice to the commissioner of motor vehicles of the entry of any judgment upon which a claim is made against such insurer under this subsection and of the payment or settlement of any claim by the insurer.

(g) No policy or contract shall be deemed to insure against any liability of an insured because of death of or injuries to his or her spouse or because of injury to, or destruction of property of his or her spouse unless express provision relating specifically thereto is included in the policy as provided in paragraphs one and two of this subsection. This exclusion shall apply only where the injured spouse, to be entitled to recover, must prove the culpable conduct of the insured spouse.

(1) Upon written request of an insured, and upon payment of a reasonable premium established in accordance with article twenty-three of this chapter, an insurer issuing or delivering any policy that satisfies the requirements of article six of the vehicle and traffic law shall provide coverage against liability of an insured because of death of or injuries to his or her spouse up to the liability insurance limits provided under such policy even where the injured spouse, to be entitled to recover, must prove the culpable conduct of the insured spouse. Such insurance coverage shall be known as "supplemental spousal liability insurance".

(2) Upon issuanceof a motor vehicle liability policy that satisfies the requirements of article six of the vehicle and traffic law and that becomes effective on or after January first, two thousand three, pursuant to regulations promulgated by the superintendent, the insurer shall notify the insured, in writing, of the availability of supplemental spousal liability insurance. Such notification shall be contained on the front of the premium notice in boldface type and include a concise statement that supplementary spousal coverage is available, an explanation of such coverage, and the insurer's premium for such coverage. Subsequently, a notification of the availability of supplementary spousal liability coverage shall be provided at least once a year in motor vehicle liability policies issued pursuant to article six of the vehicle and traffic law, including those originally issued prior to January first, two thousand three. Such notice must include a concise statement that supplementary spousal coverage is available, an explanation of such coverage, and the insurer's premium for such coverage.

(h) In this section, the term "insurance upon any property or risk located in this state" includes insurance against legal liability arising out of the ownership, operation or maintenance of any vehicle which is principally garaged or principally used in this state, or arising out of the ownership, operation, use or maintenance of any property which is principally kept or principally used in this state, or arising out of any otheractivity which is principally carried on in this state.

(i) Except as provided in subsection (j) of this section, the provisions of this section shall not apply to any policy or contract of insurance in so far as it covers the liability of an employer for workers' compensation, if such contract is governed by the provisions of section fifty-four of the workers' compensation law, or by any similar law of another state, province or country, nor to the kinds of insurances set forth in paragraph three of subsection (b) of section two thousand one hundred seventeen of this chapter.

(j) (1) Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter or any other law to the contrary, every policy providing comprehensive personal liability insurance on a one, two, three or four family owner-occupied dwelling, issued or delivered in this state on and after the first of March, nineteen eighty-four, shall provide for coverage against liability for the payment of any obligation, which the policyholder may incur pursuant to the provisions of the workers' compensation law, to an employee arising out of and in the course of employment of less than forty hours per week, in and about such residences of the policyholder in this state. Such coverage shall provide for the benefits in the standard workers' compensation policy issued in this state. No one who purchases a policy providing comprehensive personal liability insurance shall be deemed to have elected to cover under the workers' compensation law any employee who is not required, under the provisions of such law, to be covered.

(2) The term "policyholder" as used in this subsection shall be limited to an individual or individuals as defined by the terms of the policy, but shall not include corporate or other business entities or an individual who has or individuals who have in effect a workers' compensation policy which covers employees working in and about his or their residence.

(3) Every insurer who is licensed by the superintendent to issue homeowners or other policies providing comprehensive personal liability insurance in this state shall also be deemed to be licensed to transact workers' compensation insurance for the purpose of covering those persons specified in this subsection.

INSURANCE LAW § 2601(a)

§ 2601. Unfair claim settlement practices; penalties.

(a) No insurer doing business in this state shall engage in unfair claim settlement practices. Any of the following acts by an insurer, if committed without just cause and performed with such frequency as to indicate a general business practice, shall constitute unfair claim settlement practices:

(1) knowingly misrepresenting to claimants pertinent facts or policy provisions relating to coverages at issue;

(2) failing to acknowledge with reasonable promptness pertinent communications as to claims arising under its policies;

(3) failing to adopt and implement reasonable standards for the prompt investigation of claims arising under its policies;

(4) not attempting in good faith to effectuate prompt, fair and equitable settlements of claims submitted in which liability has become reasonably clear, except where there is a reasonable basis supported by specific information available for review by the department that the claimant has caused the loss to occur by arson. After receiving a properly executed proof of loss, the insurer shall advise the claimant of acceptance or denial of the claim within thirty working days;

(5) compelling policyholders to institute suits to recover amounts due under its policies by offering substantially less than the amounts ultimately recovered in suits brought by them; or

(6) failing to promptly disclose coverage pursuant to subdivision (d) or subparagraph (A) of paragraph two of subsection (f) of section three thousand four hundred twenty of this chapter.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Once again, carriers pushed the envelope until they create bad law. Although some will blame the plaintiffs’ bar lobbyists, the liberal legislators, judges, blah, blah, truth be told, some carries share a large amount of the responsibility. What I am saying may not be popular; but it is true. Having handled NY claims, I have seen (and have had to issue) my share of ridiculous late notice disclaimers that mid level management dubbed “aggressive” claims handling. Well here, we are today; after years of playing games, and throwing “soap” against the wall to see what sticks, the industry lost one of the few rules, which was carrier, friendly.

Anonymous said...

Is it any coincidence that the "no prejudice" rule expired on Martin Luther King Jr's birthday, and the day before President Obama's inauguration? I - THINK - NOT!!