APRIL 3, 2020 UPDATE: Survey of State Insurance Department COVID-19 Regulatory Actions
State Departments of Insurance continue to respond to the COVID-19 crisis with some states now temporarily prohibiting the cancellation or nonrenewal of policies. Other trends include authorizing remote notarization of documents, suspending or modifying agent/producer licensing requirements, and a…
MARCH 31, 2020 UPDATE: Survey of State Insurance Department COVID-19 Regulatory Actions
State insurance regulators continue to respond to issues surrounding COVID-19. States are addressing a wide variety of issues, including (1) the treatment of "insurance" as an "essential business" in light of "Stay at Home" orders; (2) encouraging continued flexibility when dealing with insureds…
MARCH 25, 2020 UPDATE: Survey of State Insurance Department COVID-19 Regulatory Actions
The pace of state regulation in response to COVID-19 hasn’t slowed. In the last few days, many states have (1) waived or extended certain licensing requirements for agents and adjusters; (2) urged carriers to allow grace periods for premium payments, temporarily suspended premium payments, offer…
Survey of State Insurance Department COVID-19 Regulatory Actions
The state regulatory response to COVID-19 has been swift, with nearly every state making pronouncements that affect the insurance industry, specifically. As always, the Insurance Regulatory Practice Group at Mitchell Williams stands committed to providing current and relevant updates that affect…
Texas Supreme Court Holds Lack of Groundless-Claims Clause in Insurance Policy Does Not Impact the Applicability of the "Eight-Corners Rule"
On March 20, 2020, the Texas Supreme Court delivered its opinion in Richards v. State Farm Lloyds, addressing a question of Texas law certified from the Fifth Circuit. The certified question concerned Texas’ “eight-corners rule,” which provides that an insurer’s “duty to defend is determined by the…