(Article from Insurance Law Alert, March 2022)
For more information, please visit the Insurance Law Alert Resource Center.
Last December, New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed the Comprehensive Insurance Disclosure Act, which requires litigation defendants to share detailed insurance coverage information. Critics of the Act argued that it placed an unreasonable burden on defendants because it required information to be provided within 60 days of answering a complaint and encompassed not only insurance policy information, but also contact information for adjusters, insurance applications and certifications as to the accuracy of disclosures.
Last month, Governor Hochul signed amendments to the Act which eased some of the original requirements. Among other things, the amendments lengthen the deadlines for disclosures on new lawsuits from 60 days to 90 days and clarify that the disclosure requirements apply only to new suits, not existing suits. In addition, the amendments specify that certain detailed information, such as insurance adjuster phone numbers and insurance policy applications, need not be disclosed.