Washington Governor Christine Gregoire recently signed into law the Insurance Fair Conduct Act, Senate Bill 5726, which sets forth new standards of conduct for insurers in Washington. This new legislation will have significant impact on how carriers respond to claims in Washington as it prescribes penalties on those insurers that violate the statute or various regulations adopted by the Office of the Insurance Commissioner. This legislation will become effective on July 22, 2007. The following is a summary of this new act.
Damages are available to plaintiffs upon a finding that the insurer unreasonably denied coverage or payment. A plaintiff may also recover damages upon a finding that the insurer violated one of five rules adopted by the Office of the Insurance Commissioner (OIC) and codified in Chapter 284-30 of the Washington Administrative Code (WAC) or any additional rules that the OIC adopts that are intended to implement this act. The five WAC rules regulate insurers’ actions in the following areas: (1) specific unfair claims practices; (2) misrepresentation of policy provisions; (3) failure to acknowledge pertinent communications; (4) standards for prompt investigation; and (5) standards for prompt, fair, and equitable settlements.
Upon finding a violation of the act, the court must award: (1) the actual damages sustained; (2) reasonable attorney’s fees; and (3) actual and statutory litigation costs, including expert witness fees. The court has the discretion to also increase the total award of damages to an amount that does not exceed three times the actual damages suffered by the plaintiff. A court’s ability to make any other determination regarding unfair or deceptive practices or to provide any other available remedy is not limited.
Health plans offered by health carriers are exempt from this bill.
A claimant must provide 20 days written notice to both the insurer and the OIC before filing suit under this section. The notice must provide for the basis of the cause of action. If the insurer does not resolve the claim during that 20-day period, the claimant may then bring suit without any further notice to the insurer.