Florida Automobile Joint Underwriting Association Approves Revised Auto Application, Manual Updates

 

During a brief teleconference today, April 12, 2013, the Florida Automobile Joint Underwriting Association (“FAJUA”) Operating Committee (“Committee”) approved a revised Personal Automobile Application (“Application”), as well as minor language changes to the FAJUA Underwriting Rules and Rates Manual and Accounting and Statistical Manual.

The Committee also approved its 2013 Charter, which outlines the Committee’s duties and responsibilities.

 

Personal Automobile Application

Changes were made to the six-page Application, the most notable of which follow:

• Section 7, Operator Information–This section was expanded to include more space to list other residents in a household aged 13 and over.
• Section 13, Uninsured Motorist–This section was expanded to show the coverage limits available from FAJUA.
• Section 14, Bodily Injury Liability Coverage Rejection–This section was added and requires a driver to sign off on it.
• Section 15, Personal Injury Protection–This section was expanded to include more space to list dependent residents’ relatives’ names and their personal information.
• Section 16, Named Driver Exclusion–This section was not previously included on the Application.
• Section 17, Applicant’s Statement Regarding Household Residents and Licensed Drivers–This section must be signed by the applicant.
• Section 19, Binder Provision–This section outlines what the policy covers.

One Committee member wondered if an unlicensed, underage driver would be covered if he or she drove a parent’s car and had an accident.  He was told here is no exclusion on age.

The same speaker noted that some insurance companies don’t provide coverage under the above-named circumstances.  He wondered why the residual market would be providing better coverage.

Another Committee member asked if the Application was standard in length.  Yet another speaker said that it was shorter than one he had to complete, while another said she thought it was comparable to others.

With no more discussion, the Committee unanimously voted to approve the revised Application.

 

Underwriting Rules and Rates Manual & Accounting and Statistical Manual

It was explained that the changes to both the FAJUA Underwriting Rules and Rates Manual and the Accounting and Statistical Manual consisted mostly of cleanup language.

During a brief review of the Underwriting Rules and Rates Manual, one Committee member voiced concern that a reference under the heading of General Information used the term “Continuing Education” to refer to internal training instead of the kind that is commonly undertaken for credit.

The Committee subsequently voted to amend that language, changing all references to “continuing education” to “producer online training.”

The Committee then voted to approve the amendment and unanimously approved revisions to both manuals.

The meeting was subsequently adjourned.  The meeting materials are attached for review.

 

Should you have any questions or comments, please contact Colodny Fass& Webb.

 

 

Click here to follow Colodny Fass& Webb on Twitter (@CFTLAWcom)

 

 

To unsubscribe from this newsletter, please send an email to Brooke Ellis at bellis@cftlaw.com.