Minnesota Session Laws - 2008, Regular Session

CHAPTER 284--S.F.No. 3508

An act

relating to insurance; regulating motor vehicle insurance adjustments;

amending Minnesota Statutes 2007 Supplement, section 72B.092, subdivision 1.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2007 Supplement, section 72B.092, subdivision 1, is amended to read:

Subdivision 1.

Prohibitions on insurer.

No adjuster or insurer, director, officer, broker, agent, attorney-in-fact, employee, or other representative of an insurer shall in collision cases:

deleted text begin (a) deleted text end new text begin (1) new text end limit the freedom of an insured or claimant to choose the shop;

deleted text begin (b) deleted text end new text begin (2) new text end require that an insured or claimant present the claim or the automobile for loss adjustment or inspection at a "drive-in" claim center or any other similar facility solely under the control of the insurer;

deleted text begin (c) deleted text end new text begin (3) new text end engage in boycotts, intimidation or coercive tactics in negotiating repairs to damaged motor vehicles which they insure or are liable to claimants to have repaired;

deleted text begin (d) deleted text end new text begin (4) new text end attempt to secure, except in an emergency, the insured's or claimant's signature authorizing the party securing the signature to act in behalf of the insured or claimant in selection of a repair shop facility;

deleted text begin (e) deleted text end new text begin (5) new text end adjust a damage appraisal of a repair shop when the extent of damage is in dispute without conducting a physical inspection of the vehicle; deleted text begin or deleted text end

deleted text begin (f) deleted text end new text begin (6) new text end specify the use of a particular vendor for the procurement of parts or other materials necessary for the satisfactory repair of the vehicle. This clause does not require the insurer to pay more than a reasonable market price for parts of like kind and quality in adjusting a claim deleted text begin . deleted text end new text begin ; or new text end

new text begin (7) unilaterally and arbitrarily disregard a repair operation or cost identified by an estimating system, which an insurer and collision repair facility have agreed to utilize in determining the cost of repair. new text end

Presented to the governor May 5, 2008

Signed by the governor May 8, 2008, 9:55 a.m.