Title 27, Title 27 Title 27

(a) Any insurance company or insurance producer may retain an amount equal to any unpaid premiums due on the policy under which a claim is being presented when settling any presented claim for an insured; provided, that: (1) The unpaid premium remains unpaid sixty (60) days after…

The director shall provide an initial response within two (2) weeks to any written consumer complaint containing specific and credible allegation of an unfair claims settlement practice punishable pursuant to this chapter. Whenever the director has reasonable cause to believe tha…

If, after a hearing, the director finds an insurer has engaged in an unfair claims practice, the director shall reduce the findings to writing and shall issue and cause to be served upon the insurer charged with the violation a copy of the findings and an order requiring the insu…

Any insurer which violates a cease and desist order of the director and, while the order is in effect, may, after notice and hearing and upon order of the director, be subject, at the discretion of the director, to: (1) A monetary penalty of not more than twenty-five thousand dol…

The director may, after notice and a hearing, promulgate reasonable rules, regulations, and orders as are necessary or proper to carry out and effectuate the provisions of this chapter. The regulations shall be subject to review in accordance with § 42-35-7.

If any provision of this chapter or the application of the provision to any person or circumstances shall be held invalid, the remainder of the chapter and the application of the provision to any person or circumstances other than those as to which it is held invalid shall not be…

When the medical condition of a person is material to a first or third party automobile insurance claim that has been or may be made for past or future medical payment benefits, the person shall submit to a noninvasive medical examination by physicians. Every automobile insurance…

(a) When a person is required to submit to an independent medical examination pursuant to § 27-9.2-1, the examination will be conducted by an impartial, competent physician approved by the medical advisory board of the workers’ compensation court, as defined in § 28-30-22. (b) Th…

If requested by a person examined, a party causing an examination to be made shall deliver to the person a copy of every written report concerning the examination rendered by an examining physician, at least one of which reports shall set out any findings and conclusions in detai…

“Physician” as used in this chapter means medical doctor, surgeon, dentist, chiropractor, osteopath, podiatrist, and optometrist.

The insurance commissioner may promulgate rules and regulations to carry out the purposes of this chapter.

This chapter shall be known and referred to as the “Structured Settlement Protection Act.”

For purposes of this chapter: (1) “Annuity issuer” means an insurer that has issued a contract to fund periodic payments under a structured settlement. (2) “Dependents” includes a payee’s spouse and minor children and all other persons for whom the payee is legally obligated to p…

Not less than three (3) days prior to the date on which a payee signs a transfer agreement, the transferee shall provide to the payee a separate disclosure statement, in bold type no smaller than fourteen (14) points, setting forth: (1) The amounts and due dates of the structured…

(a) No direct or indirect transfer of structured settlement payment rights shall be effective and no structured settlement obligor or annuity issuer shall be required to make any payment directly or indirectly to any transferee of structured settlement payment rights unless the t…

Following a transfer of structured settlement payment rights under this chapter: (1) The structured settlement obligor and the annuity issuer shall, as to all parties except the transferee, be discharged and released from any and all liability for the transferred payments; (2) Th…

(a) An application under this chapter for approval of a transfer of structured settlement payment rights shall be made by the transferee and shall be brought in the superior court for the county in which the payee resides. (b) Not less than twenty (20) days prior to the scheduled…

(a) The provisions of this chapter may not be waived by any payee. (b) Any transfer agreement entered into on or after July 13, 2001, by a payee who resides in this state shall provide that disputes under the transfer agreement, including any claim that the payee has breached the…

This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the “Model Act Regarding Use of Property and Casualty Insurance Binders as Evidence of Coverage.”

This chapter requires that property and casualty insurance binders obligate coverage until a policy is issued or cancelled.

As used in this chapter: (1) “Insurance binder” means a written temporary contract of insurance authorized by an insurer issued prior to the insurance policy that includes: (i) The name and address of the insured and any additional named insureds, mortgagees, or lienholders; (ii)…

An insurer that provides an insurance binder is obligated to provide the coverage according to the terms of such binder until the insurer issues the insurance policy or cancels the binder.

Any person or entity who violates this chapter may be subject to action pursuant to § 42-14-16.

(a) The purpose of this chapter is to subject certain individuals to the jurisdiction of the insurance commissioner. The legislature declares that it is concerned with the business of appraising damaged automobiles and to this end authorizes the insurance commissioner to regulate…

(a) Notwithstanding any of the provisions of this chapter, the commissioner may permit an experienced motor vehicle appraiser to act as a motor vehicle physical damage appraiser in this state without a Rhode Island license if: (1) The appraiser is either a licensed appraiser in a…

No motor vehicle liability policy or endorsement insuring a private passenger motor vehicle weighing less than ten thousand pounds (10,000 lbs.) for physical damage coverage, shall be issued in the state of Rhode Island unless the insurer has inspected and photographed the motor …

(a) Notwithstanding any of the provisions of this chapter, the commissioner may grant emergency licenses to permit an experienced motor vehicle appraiser to act as a motor vehicle physical damage appraiser in this state without a Rhode Island license if: (1) The appraiser is eith…

(a) “Motor vehicle physical damage appraiser” means any person that practices as a business the appraising of damages to motor vehicles insured under automobile physical damage policies on or on behalf of third-party claimants. (b) A Rhode Island resident business entity acting a…

All persons, partnerships, corporations, or individuals engaged in the motor vehicle physical damage appraisal business shall operate separate and apart from any body repair shop, or motor vehicle repair shop, of any new or used automobile dealership. Those engaged in this busine…

(a) Each appraiser, while engaged in appraisal duties, shall carry the license issued to that appraiser by the department of business regulation and shall display it, upon request, to an owner whose vehicle is being inspected, to the auto body shop representative involved, or to …

Any person licensed under this chapter who violates the provisions of § 27-10.1-6, 27-10.1-8, or 27-10.1-8.1 or any rules and regulations promulgated by the department of business regulation shall be subject to administrative penalties pursuant to § 42-14-16.

(a) No insurance company employee or property damage appraiser shall request or advise any motor vehicle owner or operator to operate their vehicle on any public thoroughfare for the purpose of obtaining a written estimate of damage at a drive-in claims center, unless it is ascer…

A sign in boldfaced type letters at least two inches (2″) high must be displayed in a conspicuous location in every drive-in claim center as defined in § 27-10.1-8, reading as follows: “PURSUANT TO RHODE ISLAND LAW, THE CONSUMER HAS THE RIGHT TO CHOOSE THE REPAIR FACILITY TO COMP…

(a) The director of the department of business regulation is authorized and empowered to promulgate rules and regulations that allow re-inspection of ten percent (10%) of all automobile insurance carrier claims after collision damage is repaired. The required percentage shall be …

As used in this chapter: (1) “Aftermarket part” means a motor vehicle replacement part that is not an original equipment manufacturer part; and (2) “Original equipment manufacturer part” or “OEM part” means a motor vehicle replacement part manufactured by the manufacturer of the …

(a) Whenever an insurance company, in adjusting a claim for motor vehicle physical damage, intends to specify the use of aftermarket parts, it shall notify the vehicle owner in writing. Any auto body repair shop conducting business in the state of Rhode Island shall not use non-o…

Whenever aftermarket parts are used for repairs to physically damaged motor vehicles, the following standards shall apply: (1) The aftermarket parts shall be at least equal in kind and quality to the OEM parts in terms of fit, quality, and performance; (2) To the extent practical…

(a) Every contract of motor vehicle liability insurance, issued in the state by an insurance carrier authorized to do business in the state, shall contain the following provisions: (1) Any person, referred to in this section as “the plaintiff,” suffering a loss, allegedly resulti…

(a) When the insurance company and the insured or claimant shall fail to agree as to the amount of the loss, the insured or claimant has the right to exercise the independent appraisal process outlined in this section. (1) The insured or claimant, and the insurer, shall each sele…

No domestic insurance company shall purchase, lease, hold, or improve any real property if the cost or value of the property, or the cost of the improvements on it, or all of them on the date of the purchase, lease, or acquisition, plus the book value on that date of all real pro…

A domestic insurance company may invest in mortgage loans; provided, that any mortgage loan or loans made or acquired by the domestic insurer on any one or all properties shall not exceed in the aggregate ten percent (10%) of its admitted assets.

A domestic insurance company may invest in securities of affiliated insurance companies or subsidiary insurance companies; provided, that any investment in securities of affiliated insurance companies or subsidiary insurance companies shall not exceed in the aggregate fifty perce…

A domestic insurance company may invest in collateral loans, provided, that the collateral loans invested in by the company shall not exceed in the aggregate ten percent (10%) of the domestic insurance company’s admitted assets.

This chapter shall apply to all domestic companies issued a certificate of compliance subsequent to May 8, 1984.

The insurance commissioner may promulgate reasonable rules and regulations to carry out the purposes of this chapter.

(a) All domestic insurance companies and United States branches of alien insurers entered through this state shall protect the interests of insureds by promoting insurer solvency and financial strength through the application of investment standards that facilitate a reasonable b…