OK
Oklahoma Senate Bill SB1813

Oklahoma 2024 Regular Session

Oklahoma Senate Bill SB1813 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.
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5353 STATE OF OKLAHOMA
5454
5555 2nd Session of the 59th Legislature (2024)
5656
5757 SENATE BILL 1813 By: Paxton
5858
5959
6060
6161
6262
6363 AS INTRODUCED
6464
6565 An Act relating to insurance claims; defining terms;
6666 providing application of act; requiring compliance
6767 with act by insurer; providing f or certain payments
6868 for noncompliance by insurer; construing provision;
6969 requiring Insurance Commissioner to determine
7070 postjudgment interest rate monthly; requiring p osting
7171 of rate on Insurance Department website; setting
7272 postjudgment rates; providing date of accrual for
7373 interest awarded as damages; requiring presuit notice
7474 by claimant or representative of claimant prior to
7575 filing certain action; stating requirements of
7676 notice; stating exemptions from presuit notice;
7777 requiring court to dismiss certain claims under
7878 certain circumstances; providing for admissibility of
7979 presuit notice in civil action or alternative dispute
8080 resolution; authorizing inspection of property damage
8181 at issue upon written notice; providing procedure for
8282 inspection; authorizing filing of plea in abatement
8383 under certain circumstances; authorizing court to
8484 abate an action upon certain findings; providing for
8585 automatic abatement without court order under certain
8686 circumstances; providing requirements of affidavit by
8787 claimant controverting fai lure to provide presuit
8888 notice; providing for specified duration of
8989 abatement; prohibiting court from compelling
9090 alternative dispute resolution during abatement
9191 period; authorizing insurer to make election to
9292 accept liability of producer; providing for dis missal
9393 of action against producer under certain
9494 circumstances; requiring insure r to make producer
9595 available for deposition under c ertain circumstances;
9696 stating exception; stating exception to dismissing
9797 suit against producer; prohibiting revocation by
9898 insurer or nullification by court of election by
9999 insurer for producer liability; providing for
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151151 admissibility of certain evidence against producer
152152 under certain circumstances; prov iding admissibility
153153 of evidence for this act to supersede civil procedure
154154 provisions when conflict exists; prohibiting election
155155 of producer liability by insurer if insurer is in
156156 receivership; prohibiting making jur y aware of
157157 election by insurer; providing for determination of
158158 amount of attorney fees as determined by trier of
159159 fact; stating exception for award of attorney fees;
160160 setting time of filing pleadings under this act;
161161 providing for codification; and providing an
162162 effective date.
163163
164164
165165
166166
167167 BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE O F OKLAHOMA:
168168 SECTION 1. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
169169 in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 1231 of Title 36, unless there
170170 is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
171171 A. As used in this sect ion:
172172 1. “Claim” means a first-party claim that:
173173 a. is made by an insured under an insurance policy
174174 providing coverage for real property or improvements
175175 to real property,
176176 b. must be paid by the insurer directly to the insured ,
177177 and
178178 c. arises from damage to or loss of covere d property
179179 caused, wholly or partly, by forces of nature,
180180 including an earthquake or earth tremor, a wildfire, a
181181 flood, a tornado, lightning, a hurricane, hail, wind,
182182 a snowstorm, or a rainstorm ;
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234234 2. “Claimant” means a claimant as defined pursuant to Section
235235 1250.2 of Title 36 of the Oklahoma Statutes;
236236 3. “Insurance adjuster” or “adjuster” means an insurance
237237 adjuster as defined pursuant to Section 6 202 of Title 36 of the
238238 Oklahoma Statutes;
239239 4. “Insurer” means a corporation, association, partnership, or
240240 individual engaged as a principal in the business of insurance and
241241 authorized or eligible to write property insurance in this state,
242242 including:
243243 a. an insurance company ,
244244 b. a reciprocal or interinsurance exchange ,
245245 c. a mutual insurance company ,
246246 d. a capital stock insurance company ,
247247 e. a county mutual insuranc e company,
248248 f. a farm mutual insurance company ,
249249 g. a Lloyd’s plan, or
250250 h. an eligible surplus li nes insurer; and
251251 5. “Insurance producer” or “producer” means an insurance
252252 producer as defined pursuant to Section 1435.2 of Title 36 of the
253253 Oklahoma Statutes.
254254 SECTION 2. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
255255 in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 1232 of Title 36, unless there
256256 is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
257257
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308308 A. The provisions of this act shall apply to an action on a
309309 claim against an insurer , producer, or adjuster , including:
310310 1. An action alleging a breach of contract;
311311 2. An action alleging negligence, misrepresentation, fraud, or
312312 breach of a common law duty; or
313313 3. An action brought under the Unfair Claims Settlement
314314 Practices Act.
315315 B. Except as provided in subsection C of this section, if an
316316 insurer liable for a claim is not in compliance with this act, the
317317 insurer shall pay the holder of the policy or the beneficiary making
318318 the claim under the policy interest on the amount of the claim at
319319 the rate of eighteen percen t (18%) a year as damages, together with
320320 reasonable attorney fees, in addition to the claim. Nothing in this
321321 section shall prevent the award of prejudgment interest on the
322322 amount of the claim as pr ovided by law.
323323 C. In an action constituting an unfair claim settlement
324324 practice, if an insurer of an insurance policy is not in compliance
325325 with this act, the insurer shall pay the holder of the policy, in
326326 addition to the claim, reasonable attorney fees, a nd simple interest
327327 on the amount of the claim as damages ea ch year at the rate
328328 determined on the date of judg ment by adding five percent (5%) to
329329 the interest rate determined in subsection D of this section.
330330 D. 1. On the fifteenth day of each month, the I nsurance
331331 Commissioner shall determine the postjudgment interest rate to be
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383383 applied to a money judgment rendered during the succeeding calendar
384384 month. The Insurance Department shall publish the determined rate
385385 on the website of the Department.
386386 2. The postjudgment interest rate is:
387387 a. the prime rate as published by th e Board of Governors
388388 of the Federal Reserve System on the date of
389389 computation,
390390 b. five percent (5%) a year if the prime rate as
391391 published by the Board of Governors of the Federal
392392 Reserve System described by subparagraph a is less
393393 than five percent (5%), or
394394 c. fifteen percent (15%) a year if the prime rate as
395395 published by the Board of Governors of the Federal
396396 Reserve System described by subparagraph a is more
397397 than fifteen percent (15%).
398398 Nothing in this section shall prevent the award of prejudgment
399399 interest on the amount of the claim as provided by law. Interest
400400 awarded under this section as damages shall accrue beginning on the
401401 date the claim was required to be paid.
402402 SECTION 3. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
403403 in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 1233 of Title 36, unless there
404404 is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
405405 A. In addition to any other notice required by law or the
406406 applicable insurance p olicy, not later than the sixty-first day
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458458 before the date a cla imant files an action seeking damages from any
459459 insurer, the claimant shall give written notice to the insurer in
460460 accordance with this section a s a prerequisite to filin g an action
461461 pursuant to this act.
462462 B. Notice required under this section shall provide:
463463 1. A statement of the acts or omissions giving rise to the
464464 claim;
465465 2. The specific amount alleged to be owed by the insurer on the
466466 claim for damage to or loss of covered property; and
467467 3. Reasonable attorney fees.
468468 C. If an attorney or other representativ e provides notice under
469469 this section on behalf of a claimant, the attorney or representative
470470 shall:
471471 1. Provide a copy of the notice to the cla imant; and
472472 2. Include in the notice a statement t hat a copy of the notice
473473 was provided to the claimant.
474474 D. Presuit notice required under this section is not required
475475 if giving notice is impracticable and:
476476 1. The claimant has a reasonable belief that there is
477477 insufficient time to give presuit notice before the statute of
478478 limitations will expire; or
479479 2. The action is asserted as a counterclaim.
480480 E. To ensure that a claimant is not prejudiced by having given
481481 the presuit notice required by this section, a court shall dismiss
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533533 without prejudice an action rela ting to the claim for which notice
534534 is given by the claimant and commenced:
535535 1. Before the sixty-first day after the date the claimant
536536 provides presuit notice under subsection A of this section;
537537 2. By an insurer to whom presuit notice is given under
538538 subsection A of this section; and
539539 3. Against the claimant giving the notice.
540540 F. A claimant who gives notice in accordance with this section
541541 is not relieved of the obligation to give notice under any other
542542 applicable law. Notice given pursuant to this section may be
543543 combined with notice given under any other law.
544544 G. Notice given pursuant to this section is admissible in
545545 evidence in a civil action or an alternative dispute resolution
546546 proceeding.
547547 H. Giving notice pursuant to this section shall not provide a
548548 basis for limiting the evidence of attorney fees, damages, or losses
549549 a claimant may offer at trial.
550550 I. An insurer who receives notice pursuant to this section may
551551 make a settlement offer during a period begin ning the date notice is
552552 received and ending on the sixtieth day following the receipt date.
553553 SECTION 4. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
554554 in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 1234 of Title 36, unless there
555555 is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
556556
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607607 Not later than the thirtieth day after receiving a presuit
608608 notice given under Section 3 of this act, an insurer to whom notice
609609 is given may send a written request to the claimant to inspect,
610610 photograph, or evaluate, i n a reasonable manner and at a reasonable
611611 time, the property that is the subject of the claim. If reasonably
612612 possible, the inspection, photography, or evaluation must be
613613 completed not later than the sixtieth day after the date the insurer
614614 receives the presuit notice.
615615 SECTION 5. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
616616 in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 1235 of Title 36, unless there
617617 is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
618618 A. In addition to taking any other act allowed by contract or
619619 by any other law, an insurer against whom an action to which this
620620 act applies is pending may file a plea i n abatement not later than
621621 the thirtieth day after the date the insurer files an original
622622 answer in the court in which the action is pending if the insurer:
623623 1. Did not receive a presuit notice complying with Secti on 3 of
624624 this act; or
625625 2. Completed a request pursuant to Section 4 of this act but
626626 was not provided a reasonable opportunity to insp ect, photograph, or
627627 evaluate the property that is the subject of the claim.
628628 B. The court shall abate the action if the court finds that the
629629 insurer filing the plea in abatement:
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681681 1. Did not, for any reason, receive a presuit notice complying
682682 with Section 3 of this act; or
683683 2. Completed a request pursuant to Section 4 of this act but
684684 was not provided a reasonable opportunity to inspect, photograph, or
685685 evaluate the property that is the subject of the claim.
686686 C. An action is automatically abated without a cou rt order
687687 beginning on the eleventh day after the date a plea in abatement is
688688 filed if the plea:
689689 1. Is verified and alleges that the insurer against whom the
690690 action is pending:
691691 a. did not receive a presuit notice complying with
692692 Section 3 of this act, or
693693 b. completed a request under Section 4 of this act but
694694 was not provided a reasonabl e opportunity to inspect,
695695 photograph, or evaluate the property that is the
696696 subject of the claim; and
697697 2. Is not controverted by an affidavit filed by the claimant
698698 before the eleventh day after the date the plea i n abatement is
699699 filed.
700700 D. An affidavit described b y paragraph 2 of subsection C of
701701 this section controverting whether the insurer against whom the
702702 action is pending received a presuit notice complying with Section 3
703703 of this act shall:
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755755 1. Include as an attachment a copy of the document the claimant
756756 sent to give notice of the claimant ’s action; and
757757 2. State the date on which the notice was given.
758758 E. An abatement under this section continues until the later
759759 of:
760760 1. The sixtieth day after the date a notice c omplying with
761761 Section 3 of this act is given; or
762762 2. The fifteenth day after the date of the requested
763763 inspection, photography, or evaluation of the property is completed
764764 under Section 4 of this act.
765765 F. If an action is abated under this section, a court may not
766766 compel participation in an alternative disp ute resolution proceeding
767767 until after the abatement period provided by subsection E of this
768768 section has expired.
769769 SECTION 6. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
770770 in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 1236 of Title 36, unless there
771771 is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
772772 A. Except as provided by subsection H of this section , in an
773773 action to which this act applies, an insurer that is a party to the
774774 action may elect to accept whatever liability a producer or adjuster
775775 might have to the claima nt for the acts or omissions of the producer
776776 or adjuster related to the claim by providing written notice to the
777777 claimant.
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829829 B. If an insurer makes an election under subsection A of this
830830 section before a claimant files an action t o which this act applies,
831831 no cause of action exists against the producer or adjuster related
832832 to the claim, and, if the claimant files an action ag ainst the
833833 producer or adjuster, the court shall dismiss that action with
834834 prejudice.
835835 C. If a claimant files an action to which this act applies
836836 against a producer or adjuster and the insurer thereafter makes an
837837 election under subsection A of this section with respect to the
838838 producer or adjuster , the court shall dis miss the action agains t the
839839 producer or adjuster with prejudice.
840840 D. If an insurer makes an election under subsection A of this
841841 section and, after having been served with a notice of intent to
842842 take a deposition of the producer or adjuster who is the subject of
843843 the election, fails to make that producer or adjuster available at a
844844 reasonable time and place to give deposition testimony, the
845845 provisions of subsections A, B, and C of Section 7 of this act shall
846846 not apply to the action with respect to which the ins urer made the
847847 election unless the court finds that :
848848 1. It is impracticable for the insurer to make the producer or
849849 adjuster available due to a change in circumstances arising after
850850 the insurer made the election under subsection A of this secti on;
851851 2. The producer or adjuster whose liability was assumed w ould
852852 not have been a proper party to the action; or
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904904 3. Obtaining the producer or adjuster ’s deposition testimony is
905905 not warranted under the law.
906906 E. An election by an insurer under subsection A of this section
907907 is ineffective to obtain the dismissal of an action against a
908908 producer or adjuster if the election is conditioned in a way t hat
909909 will result in the insurer avoiding liability for any claim -related
910910 damage caused to the claimant by the acts or omissions of the
911911 producer or adjuster .
912912 F. An insurer may not revoke, and a court may not nullify, an
913913 insurer’s election under subsection A of this section.
914914 G. If an insurer makes an election under subsection A of this
915915 section and the producer or adjuster is not a party to the action,
916916 evidence of the acts or omissions of the producer or adjuster may be
917917 offered at trial and, if supported by s ufficient evidence, the trier
918918 of fact may be asked to resolve fact issues as if the producer or
919919 adjuster were a defendant, and a judgment against the insurer must
920920 include any liability that would have been assessed against the
921921 producer or adjuster . To the extent that there is a conflict
922922 between this subsection and Title 12 of the Oklahoma Statutes , this
923923 subsection shall supersede the provisions of Title 12 of the
924924 Oklahoma Statutes.
925925 H. If an insurer is in receivership at the time the claimant
926926 commences an action against the insurer, the insurer may not make an
927927 election under subsection A of this section, and the court shall
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979979 disregard any prior election made by the insurer relatin g to the
980980 claim.
981981 I. In an action tried by a jury, an insurer ’s election under
982982 subsection A of this section may not be made known to the jury.
983983 SECTION 7. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
984984 in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 1237 of Title 36, unless there
985985 is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
986986 A. In an action pursuant to this act and e xcept as otherwise
987987 provided by this section, the amount of attorney fees that may be
988988 awarded to a claimant shall be the lesser of:
989989 1. The amount of reasonable attorney fees supported at trial by
990990 sufficient evidence and dete rmined by the trier of fact to have been
991991 incurred by the claimant in bringing the action;
992992 2. The amount of attorney fees that may be awarded to the
993993 claimant under other applicable law; or
994994 3. The amount calculated by:
995995 a. dividing the amount to be awarded in the judgment to
996996 the claimant for the claim under the insurance policy
997997 for damage to or loss of covered property by the
998998 amount alleged to be owed on the claim for that damage
999999 or loss in a notice given under Section 3 of this act,
10001000 and
10011001 b. multiplying the amount calculated under subparagraph a
10021002 of this paragraph by the total amount of reasonable
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10541054 attorney fees supported at trial by sufficient
10551055 evidence and determined by the trier of fact to have
10561056 been incurred by the claimant in bringing the action.
10571057 B. Except as provided by subsection D of this section, the
10581058 court shall award to the claimant the full amount of reasonable
10591059 attorney fees supported at trial by sufficient evidence and
10601060 determined by the trier of fact to have been incurred by the
10611061 claimant in bringing th e action if the amount calculated under
10621062 subparagraph a of paragraph 3 of subsection A of this section is:
10631063 1. Greater than or e qual to 0.8;
10641064 2. Not limited by this section or any other provision of law;
10651065 and
10661066 3. Otherwise recoverable under law.
10671067 C. The court may not award attorney fees to the claimant if the
10681068 amount calculated under subparagraph a of paragraph 3 of subsection
10691069 A of this section is less than 0.2.
10701070 D. If a defendant in an action to which this act applies pleads
10711071 and proves that the defendant was entitled to but was not given a
10721072 presuit notice stating the specific amount alleged to be owed by the
10731073 insurer under Section 3 of this act at least sixty-one days before
10741074 the date the action was filed by the claimant, the court shall not
10751075 award to the claimant any a ttorney fees incurred after the date the
10761076 defendant files the pleading with the court. A pleading under this
10771077 subsection shall be filed not later than the thirtieth day after the
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11291129 date the defendant files an original answ er in the court where the
11301130 action is pending.
11311131 SECTION 8. This act shall become effective November 1, 2024.
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11331133 59-2-3216 RD 1/17/2024 3:54:43 PM