Section 500.3175 - Rules for assignment of claims; duties of insurer to whom claims assigned; compromises and settlements; rules; limitation on action to enforce rights; interest on delinquent payment
THE INSURANCE CODE OF 1956 (EXCERPT)
Act 218 of 1956
500.3175 Rules for assignment of claims; duties of insurer to whom claims assigned; compromises and settlements; rules; limitation on action to enforce rights; interest on delinquent payments; installment payments.
Sec. 3175.
(1) The assignment of claims shall be made according to rules that assure fair allocation of the burden of assigned claims among insurers doing business in this state on a basis reasonably related to the volume of automobile liability and personal protection insurance they write on motor vehicles or of the number of self-insured motor vehicles. An insurer to whom claims have been assigned shall make prompt payment of loss in accordance with this act and is thereupon entitled to reimbursement by the assigned claims facility for the payments and the established loss adjustment cost, together with an amount determined by use of the average annual 90-day United States treasury bill yield rate, as reported by the council of economic advisers as of December 31 of the year for which reimbursement is sought, as follows:
(a) For the calendar year in which claims are paid by the insurer, the amount shall be determined by applying the specified annual yield rate specified in this subsection to 1/2 of the total claims payments and loss adjustment costs.
(b) For the period from the end of the calendar year in which claims are paid by the insurer to the date payments for the operation of the assigned claims facility and the assigned claims plan are due, the amount will be determined by applying the annual yield rate specified in this subsection to the total claims payments and loss adjustment costs multiplied by a fraction the denominator of which is 365 and the numerator of which is equal to the number of days that have elapsed between the end of the calendar year and the date payments for the operation of the assigned claims facility and the assigned claims plan are due.
(2) The insurer to whom claims have been assigned shall preserve and enforce rights to indemnity or reimbursement against third parties and account to the assigned claims facility therefor and shall assign such rights to the assigned claims facility upon reimbursement by the assigned claims facility. This section shall not preclude an insurer from entering into reasonable compromises and settlements with third parties against whom rights to indemnity or reimbursement exist. The insurer shall account to the assigned claims facility for such compromises and settlements. The rules promulgated under section 3171 shall include a rule establishing reasonable standards for enforcing rights to indemnity or reimbursement against third parties, including a standard establishing a value for such rights below which actions to preserve and enforce the rights need not be pursued.
(3) An action to enforce rights to indemnity or reimbursement against a third party shall not be commenced after the later of 2 years after the assignment of the claim to the insurer or 1 year after the date of the last payment to the claimant.
(4) Payments for the operation of the assigned claims facility and plan not paid by the due date shall bear interest at the rate of 20% per annum.
(5) The secretary of state through the facility may enter into a written agreement with the debtor permitting the payment of the judgment or acknowledgment of debt in installments payable to the facility.
History: Add. 1972, Act 294, Eff. Mar. 30, 1973 ;-- Am. 1972, Act 345, Imd. Eff. Jan. 9, 1973 ;-- Am. 1984, Act 426, Eff. Mar. 29, 1985
Popular Name: Act 218
Popular Name: Essential Insurance
Popular Name: No-Fault Insurance