Subdivision 1. Prohibitions on insurer. No adjuster or insurer, director, officer, broker, agent, attorney-in-fact, employee, or other representative of an insurer shall in collision cases:

(1) limit the freedom of an insured or claimant to choose the shop;

(2) require that an insured or claimant present the claim or the automobile for loss adjustment or inspection at a "drive-in" claim center or any other similar facility solely under the control of the insurer;

(3) engage in boycotts, intimidation or coercive tactics in negotiating repairs to damaged motor vehicles which they insure or are liable to claimants to have repaired;

(4) attempt to secure, except in an emergency, the insured's or claimant's signature authorizing the party securing the signature to act in behalf of the insured or claimant in selection of a repair shop facility;

(5) adjust a damage appraisal of a repair shop when the extent of damage is in dispute without conducting a physical inspection of the vehicle;

(6) specify the use of a particular vendor for the procurement of parts or other materials necessary for the satisfactory repair of the vehicle. This clause does not require the insurer to pay more than a reasonable market price for parts of like kind and quality in adjusting a claim; or

(7) unilaterally and arbitrarily disregard a repair operation or cost identified by an estimating system, which an insurer and collision repair facility have agreed to utilize in determining the cost of repair.

Subd. 2. Boycotts. No motor vehicle repair shop shall in any way coerce, or intimidate a motor vehicle owner to boycott an insurer's "drive-in" claim center or similar facility.

Subd. 3. Owner's signature. No motor vehicle repair shop shall attempt to secure, except in an emergency, the vehicle owner's signature authorizing the party securing the signature to act in behalf of the owner in selection of a repair shop.

Subd. 4. Access to repair shop. An insurer's representative shall not be unreasonably denied access to a motor vehicle repair shop during normal business hours for the purpose of inspecting or reinspecting damaged vehicles.

Subd. 5. Storage and towing charges. When a damaged vehicle is towed to a motor vehicle repair shop, the storage and towing charges shall not exceed the usual and customary charges for the towing and storage of undamaged vehicles in the area except if the vehicle, due to its damaged condition, requires special handling in the towing or storage, an added charge may be made.

History: 1980 c 456 s 3; 1986 c 444; 2007 c 80 s 1; 2008 c 284 s 1