Bill Text: NY S01471 | 2023-2024 | General Assembly | Introduced


Bill Title: Permits an insurer to rescind or retroactively cancel a policy in circumstance involving an accident staged to defraud an insurer.

Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-1)

Status: (Engrossed) 2024-03-25 - referred to insurance [S01471 Detail]

Download: New_York-2023-S01471-Introduced.html



                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          1471

                               2023-2024 Regular Sessions

                    IN SENATE

                                    January 12, 2023
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by Sens. BRESLIN, HELMING, MANNION -- read twice and ordered
          printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee  on  Insur-
          ance

        AN  ACT  to  amend the insurance law and the vehicle and traffic law, in
          relation to permitting an insurer to rescind or retroactively cancel a
          policy in certain circumstances

          The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and  Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:

     1    Section 1. The insurance law is amended by adding a new section 3426-a
     2  to read as follows:
     3    § 3426-a. Cancellation of policy. (a) An insurer may, within the first
     4  sixty  days,  rescind  or  retroactively cancel to the inception a newly
     5  issued  automobile  insurance  policy  subject  to  paragraph   one   of
     6  subsection  (a)  of  section  three thousand four hundred twenty-five of
     7  this article, a newly  issued  commercial  automobile  insurance  policy
     8  subject  to section three thousand four hundred twenty-six of this arti-
     9  cle, or a policy issued pursuant to any plan established  under  article
    10  fifty-three  of  this  chapter,  if  the  initial premium payment is not
    11  honored by a financial institution due to the nonexistence or the  unau-
    12  thorized use of a bank account, or the initial premium payment is denied
    13  by  a  credit  card company due to the unauthorized use of a credit card
    14  account. This section shall not apply to policies required under article
    15  eight of the vehicle and traffic law.
    16    (b) A person who is injured during this period and who would  ordinar-
    17  ily  be  covered  under  the  insured's  policy had it not been canceled
    18  pursuant to subsection (a) of this section, shall be entitled to recover
    19  under his or her own policy subject to the terms and conditions  of  the
    20  contract,  or if the injured person is uninsured, they shall be entitled
    21  to recover under the motor vehicle accident indemnification corporation,
    22  provided such person did not participate  in  any  fraudulent  activity,
    23  including, but not limited to, an accident staged to defraud an insurer.

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD05340-01-3

        S. 1471                             2

     1  The motor vehicle accident indemnification corporation may not subrogate
     2  its claim against the rescinding or cancelling insurer.
     3    §  2.  Paragraph  2 of subsection (d) of section 3420 of the insurance
     4  law, as amended by chapter 388 of the laws of 2008, is amended  to  read
     5  as follows:
     6    (2)  If under a liability policy issued or delivered in this state, an
     7  insurer shall disclaim liability or deny coverage including a disclaimer
     8  or denial because the insurer rescinded or cancelled  coverage  pursuant
     9  to section three thousand four hundred twenty-six-a of this article, for
    10  death  or bodily injury arising out of a motor vehicle accident, includ-
    11  ing any claim for personal injuries under an uninsured motorist endorse-
    12  ment by any occupant of a motor vehicle or other person involved  in  an
    13  accident  that was staged to defraud an insurer who is without knowledge
    14  of the staging or fraudulent intent of the accident, or any  other  type
    15  of accident occurring within this state, it shall give written notice as
    16  soon as is reasonably possible of such disclaimer of liability or denial
    17  of coverage to the insured and the injured person or any other claimant.
    18    §  3.  Paragraph  1 of subsection (f) of section 3420 of the insurance
    19  law, as amended by section 19 of part III of chapter 59 of the  laws  of
    20  2019, is amended to read as follows:
    21    (1)  No  policy insuring against loss resulting from liability imposed
    22  by law for bodily injury or death suffered by any natural person arising
    23  out of the ownership, maintenance and use  of  a  motor  vehicle  or  an
    24  altered  motor  vehicle  commonly  referred  to as a "stretch limousine"
    25  having a seating capacity of eight or more passengers used in the  busi-
    26  ness  of  carrying  or  transporting passengers for hire, by the insured
    27  shall be issued or delivered by any authorized insurer  upon  any  motor
    28  vehicle  or  an altered motor vehicle commonly referred to as a "stretch
    29  limousine" having a seating capacity of eight or more passengers used in
    30  the business of carrying or transporting passengers for hire, then prin-
    31  cipally garaged or principally used in this state unless it  contains  a
    32  provision whereby the insurer agrees that it will pay to the insured, as
    33  defined in such provision, subject to the terms and conditions set forth
    34  therein  to be prescribed by the board of directors of the Motor Vehicle
    35  Accident Indemnification Corporation and approved by the superintendent,
    36  all sums, not exceeding a maximum amount or limit of  twenty-five  thou-
    37  sand  dollars  exclusive  of interest and costs, on account of injury to
    38  and all sums, not exceeding a maximum amount or limit of fifty  thousand
    39  dollars  exclusive  of  interest  and  costs, on account of death of one
    40  person, in any one accident, and the maximum amount or limit, subject to
    41  such limit for any one person so injured of fifty thousand dollars or so
    42  killed of one hundred thousand dollars, exclusive of interest and costs,
    43  on account of injury to, or death of, more than one person  in  any  one
    44  accident,  which  the insured or his legal representative shall be enti-
    45  tled to recover as damages from an owner or  operator  of  an  uninsured
    46  motor  vehicle,  unidentified motor vehicle which leaves the scene of an
    47  accident, a motor vehicle registered in this state as to  which  at  the
    48  time  of  the  accident  there  was  not in effect a policy of liability
    49  insurance, a motor vehicle for which the policy of  insurance  has  been
    50  rescinded  or  cancelled pursuant to section three thousand four hundred
    51  twenty-six-a of this article, a stolen vehicle, a motor vehicle involved
    52  in an accident which was staged to defraud an insurer, except such vehi-
    53  cle owned and operated by the perpetrator or perpetrators of such  acci-
    54  dent,  a  motor  vehicle  operated  without  permission of the owner, an
    55  insured motor vehicle where the insurer disclaims  liability  or  denies
    56  coverage  or  an unregistered vehicle because of bodily injury, sickness

        S. 1471                             3

     1  or disease,  including  death  resulting  therefrom,  sustained  by  the
     2  insured,  caused  by accident occurring in this state and arising out of
     3  the ownership, maintenance or use of such motor vehicle. No payment  for
     4  non-economic loss shall be made under such policy provision to a covered
     5  person  unless  such person has incurred a serious injury, as such terms
     6  are defined in section five thousand one hundred two  of  this  chapter.
     7  Such  policy  shall  not  duplicate  any  element of basic economic loss
     8  provided for under article fifty-one of this  chapter.  No  payments  of
     9  first party benefits for basic economic loss made pursuant to such arti-
    10  cle  shall  diminish  the  obligations  of the insurer under this policy
    11  provision for the payment of non-economic  loss  and  economic  loss  in
    12  excess  of  basic  economic  loss.    Notwithstanding  any  inconsistent
    13  provisions of section three thousand four hundred  twenty-five  of  this
    14  article, any such policy which does not contain the aforesaid provisions
    15  shall be construed as if such provisions were embodied therein.
    16    § 4. Subparagraph (A) of paragraph 2 of subsection (f) of section 3420
    17  of the insurance law, as amended by section 19 of part III of chapter 59
    18  of the laws of 2019, is amended to read as follows:
    19    (A)  Any such policy shall, at the option of the insured, also provide
    20  supplementary  uninsured/underinsured  motorists  insurance  for  bodily
    21  injury,  in an amount up to the bodily injury liability insurance limits
    22  of coverage provided under such policy, subject  to  a  maximum  of  two
    23  hundred  fifty  thousand dollars because of bodily injury to or death of
    24  one person in any one accident  and,  subject  to  such  limit  for  one
    25  person,  up to five hundred thousand dollars because of bodily injury to
    26  or death of two or more persons in  any  one  accident,  or  a  combined
    27  single  limit  policy of five hundred thousand dollars because of bodily
    28  injury to or death of one or more persons in any one accident;  and  any
    29  such  policy  insuring  against loss resulting from liability imposed by
    30  law for bodily injury or death suffered by any  natural  person  arising
    31  out  of  the ownership, maintenance, and use of an altered motor vehicle
    32  commonly referred to as a "stretch limousine" having a seating  capacity
    33  of  eight  or more passengers used in the business of carrying or trans-
    34  porting   passengers   for    hire,    shall    provide    supplementary
    35  uninsured/underinsured  motorists  insurance  for  bodily  injury, in an
    36  amount of a combined single limit of one million five  hundred  thousand
    37  dollars  because of bodily injury or death of one or more persons in any
    38  one accident. Provided however, an  insurer  issuing  any  such  policy,
    39  except  a  policy insuring against loss resulting from liability imposed
    40  by law for bodily injury or death suffered by any natural person arising
    41  out of the ownership, maintenance, and use of an altered  motor  vehicle
    42  commonly  referred to as a "stretch limousine" having a seating capacity
    43  of eight or more passengers used in the business of carrying  or  trans-
    44  porting  passengers  for  hire,  in  lieu of offering to the insured the
    45  coverages stated above, may provide supplementary uninsured/underinsured
    46  motorists insurance for bodily injury, in an amount  up  to  the  bodily
    47  injury  liability insurance limits of coverage provided under such poli-
    48  cy, subject to a maximum of one  hundred  thousand  dollars  because  of
    49  bodily injury to or death of one person in any one accident and, subject
    50  to  such  limit  for  one  person,  up to three hundred thousand dollars
    51  because of bodily injury to or death of two or more persons in  any  one
    52  accident,  or  a  combined single limit policy of three hundred thousand
    53  dollars because of bodily injury to or death of one or more  persons  in
    54  any  one  accident,  if  such  insurer  also  makes available a personal
    55  umbrella policy with liability coverage  limits  up  to  at  least  five
    56  hundred  thousand dollars which also provides coverage for supplementary

        S. 1471                             4

     1  uninsured/underinsured       motorists       claims.       Supplementary
     2  uninsured/underinsured  motorists  insurance  shall provide coverage, in
     3  any state or Canadian province, if the limits  of  liability  under  all
     4  bodily  injury  liability  bonds and insurance policies of another motor
     5  vehicle liable for damages including, but not limited to a  vehicle  for
     6  which  the  policy of insurance has been rescinded or cancelled pursuant
     7  to section three thousand four hundred twenty-six-a of this  article,  a
     8  motor  vehicle  involved  in  an accident which was staged to defraud an
     9  insurer, except such vehicle owned and operated by  the  perpetrator  or
    10  perpetrators  of  such  accident, are in a lesser amount than the bodily
    11  injury liability insurance limits of coverage provided by  such  policy.
    12  Upon   written   request   by   any   insured  covered  by  supplemental
    13  uninsured/underinsured motorists insurance or his duly authorized repre-
    14  sentative and upon disclosure by the insured  of  the  insured's  bodily
    15  injury   and  supplemental  uninsured/underinsured  motorists  insurance
    16  coverage limits, the insurer of any other owner or operator  of  another
    17  motor  vehicle  against  which  a claim has been made for damages to the
    18  insured shall disclose, within forty-five days of the request, the bodi-
    19  ly injury liability insurance limits of its coverage provided under  the
    20  policy  or all bodily injury liability bonds. The time of the insured to
    21  make any supplementary uninsured/underinsured motorist claim,  shall  be
    22  tolled  during  the period the insurer of any other owner or operator of
    23  another motor vehicle that may be liable for  damages  to  the  insured,
    24  fails to so disclose its coverage. As a condition precedent to the obli-
    25  gation    of    the    insurer    to   pay   under   the   supplementary
    26  uninsured/underinsured  motorists  insurance  coverage,  the  limits  of
    27  liability  of  all  bodily  injury liability bonds or insurance policies
    28  applicable at the time of the accident shall be exhausted by payment  of
    29  judgments or settlements.
    30    §  5.  Paragraph  1 of subsection (b) of section 5103 of the insurance
    31  law is amended to read as follows:
    32    (1) Intentionally causes his own injury,  except  any  occupant  of  a
    33  motor  vehicle or other person involved in an accident staged to defraud
    34  an insurer who is without knowledge of the staging or fraudulent  intent
    35  of such accident.
    36    §  6.  Paragraph  2 of subsection (a) of section 5103 of the insurance
    37  law is amended to read as follows:
    38    (2) The named insured and members of his household, other  than  occu-
    39  pants  of  a motorcycle, for loss arising out of the use or operation of
    40  (i) an uninsured motor vehicle or motorcycle, or a vehicle whose  cover-
    41  age  is  rescinded  or cancelled pursuant to section three thousand four
    42  hundred twenty-six-a of this chapter,  within  the  United  States,  its
    43  territories or possessions, or Canada; and (ii) an insured motor vehicle
    44  or  motorcycle  outside  of this state and within the United States, its
    45  territories or possessions, or Canada.
    46    § 7. Paragraph (a) of subdivision 1 of section 313 of the vehicle  and
    47  traffic  law,  as amended by chapter 569 of the laws of 1981, is amended
    48  to read as follows:
    49    (a) [No] Except as provided for in section three thousand four hundred
    50  twenty-six-a of the insurance law, no contract of insurance for which  a
    51  certificate  of  insurance has been filed with the commissioner shall be
    52  terminated by cancellation by the insurer until  at  least  twenty  days
    53  after  mailing to the named insured at the address shown on the policy a
    54  notice of termination by regular mail, with a  certificate  of  mailing,
    55  properly endorsed by the postal service to be obtained, except where the
    56  cancellation  is  for  non-payment of premium in which case fifteen days

        S. 1471                             5

     1  notice of cancellation by the insurer  shall  be  sufficient,  provided,
     2  however,  if  another  insurance  contract has been procured, such other
     3  insurance contract shall, as of its effective date and  hour,  terminate
     4  the  insurance  previously  in effect with respect to any motor vehicles
     5  designated in both contracts. No  contract  of  insurance  for  which  a
     6  certificate of insurance has been filed with the commissioner in which a
     7  natural  person  is  the  named  insured  and  the motor vehicle is used
     8  predominantly for non-business  purposes  shall  be  non-renewed  by  an
     9  insurer  unless  at  least  forty-five,  but not more than sixty days in
    10  advance of the renewal date the insurer mails or delivers to  the  named
    11  insured  at  the  address  shown  on  the policy a written notice of its
    12  intention not to renew. No such contract of insurance in which the named
    13  insured is not a natural person or the motor vehicle  is  used  predomi-
    14  nantly  for  business purposes shall be non-renewed by an insurer unless
    15  at least twenty days in advance of the renewal date the insurer mails or
    16  delivers to the named insured at the address shown on the policy a writ-
    17  ten notice of its intention not to renew.  All  notices  of  non-renewal
    18  shall  be  sent  by regular mail with a certificate of mailing, properly
    19  endorsed by the postal service to be obtained.  Time  of  the  effective
    20  date  and  hour of termination stated in the notice shall become the end
    21  of the policy period. Every notice or acknowledgement of termination for
    22  any cause whatsoever sent to the insured shall include in type of  which
    23  the  face  shall not be smaller than twelve point a statement that proof
    24  of financial security is required to be maintained continuously through-
    25  out the registration period and a notice prescribed by the  commissioner
    26  indicating  the punitive effects of failure to maintain continuous proof
    27  of financial security and actions which may be taken by the  insured  to
    28  avoid such punitive effects.
    29    §  8.  Paragraphs  6  and  7  of subsection (b) of section 5201 of the
    30  insurance law are amended and a new paragraph 8  is  added  to  read  as
    31  follows:
    32    (6)  insured  motor  vehicles where the insurer disclaims liability or
    33  denies coverage, [and]
    34    (7) unregistered motor vehicles[.], and
    35    (8) an accident staged to defraud an insurer.
    36    § 9. This act shall take effect on  the  two  hundred  seventieth  day
    37  after it shall have become a law.
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