2020 Wisconsin Statutes & Annotations
Chapter 440. Department of safety and professional services.
440.48 Insurance.
440.48 Insurance.
(1) Driver requirements.
(a) A participating driver, or a transportation network company on the driver's behalf, shall maintain primary automobile insurance that does all of the following:
1. Recognizes that the driver is a participating driver, or otherwise uses a motor vehicle to transport passengers for compensation.
2. Covers the participating driver at any of the following times:
a. While the driver is logged on to the transportation network company's digital network.
b. While the driver is engaged in transportation network services.
(b) The following automobile insurance requirements apply while a participating driver is logged on to the transportation network company's digital network and is available to receive transportation requests but is not engaged in transportation network services:
1. The insurance is primary automobile liability insurance in the amount of at least $50,000 for death and bodily injury per person, $100,000 for death and bodily injury per incident, and $25,000 for property damage.
2. The insurance provides primary uninsured motorist coverage in accordance with the requirements under s. 632.32 (4) (a) 1.
3. The coverage requirements under this paragraph may be satisfied by any of the following:
a. Automobile insurance maintained by the participating driver.
b. Automobile insurance maintained by the transportation network company.
c. Any combination of insurance specified in subd. 3. a. and b.
(c) The following automobile insurance requirements apply while a participating driver is engaged in transportation network services:
1. The insurance is primary automobile liability insurance in the amount of at least $1,000,000 for death, bodily injury, and property damage.
2. The insurance provides primary uninsured motorist coverage in accordance with the requirements under s. 632.32 (4) (a) 1.
3. The coverage requirements under this paragraph may be satisfied by any of the following:
a. Automobile insurance maintained by the participating driver.
b. Automobile insurance maintained by the transportation network company.
c. Any combination of insurance specified in subd. 3. a. and b.
(d) If insurance maintained by the participating driver under par. (b) or (c) has lapsed or does not provide the required coverage, insurance maintained by a transportation network company shall provide the coverage required under this subsection beginning with the first dollar of a claim and have the duty to defend the claim.
(e) Coverage under an automobile insurance policy maintained by the transportation network company shall not be dependent on a personal automobile insurer first denying a claim nor shall a personal automobile insurance policy be required to first deny a claim.
(f) Insurance required under this subsection may be placed with an insurer authorized to do business in this state or with a surplus lines insurer.
(g) Insurance satisfying the requirements of this subsection shall be deemed to satisfy the financial responsibility requirement for a motor vehicle under ch. 344.
(h) A participating driver shall carry proof of coverage satisfying pars. (b) and (c) with him or her at all times during his or her use of a vehicle in connection with a transportation network company's digital network. In the event of an accident, a participating driver shall provide this insurance coverage information to the directly interested parties, automobile insurers, and investigating police officers, upon request in accordance with s. 344.62. Upon request, a participating driver shall also disclose to directly interested parties, automobile insurers, and investigating police officers whether he or she was logged on to the transportation network company's digital network or engaged in transportation network services at the time of the accident.
(2) Disclosures required regarding insurance coverage. A transportation network company shall disclose in writing to participating drivers all of the following before they are allowed to accept a request for transportation network services on the transportation network company's digital network:
(a) The insurance coverage, including the types of coverage and the limits for each coverage, that the transportation network company provides while the participating driver uses a personal vehicle in connection with a transportation network company's digital network.
(b) That the participating driver's own automobile insurance policy might not provide any coverage while the participating driver is logged on to the transportation network company's digital network and is available to receive transportation requests or is engaged in transportation network services depending on its terms.
(3) Insurer provisions.
(a) Notwithstanding any coverage requirements under s. 632.32, an insurer that writes automobile insurance in this state may exclude any and all coverage afforded under a policy owner's insurance policy for any loss or injury that occurs while a participating driver is logged on to a transportation network company's digital network or is engaged in transportation network services. This right to exclude all coverage may apply to any coverage included in a motor vehicle insurance policy, including all of the following:
1. Liability coverage for bodily injury and property damage.
2. Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage.
3. Medical payments coverage.
4. Comprehensive physical damage coverage.
5. Collision physical damage coverage.
(b)
1. Exclusions under par. (a) shall apply notwithstanding any requirement under ch. 344. Nothing in this subsection implies or requires that a personal automobile insurance policy provide coverage while the driver is logged on to the transportation network company's digital network, while the driver is engaged in transportation network services, or while the driver otherwise uses a vehicle to transport passengers for compensation.
2. Nothing shall be deemed to preclude an insurer from providing coverage for the participating driver's vehicle, if the insurer so chooses to do so by contract or endorsement.
(c)
1. Automobile insurers that exclude coverage as permitted in this subsection shall have no duty to defend or indemnify any claim expressly excluded. Nothing in this section shall be deemed to invalidate or limit an exclusion contained in a policy, including any policy in use, or approved for use, in this state before May 3, 2015, that excludes coverage for vehicles used to carry persons or property for a charge or available for hire by the public.
2. An automobile insurer that defends or indemnifies a claim against a participating driver that is excluded under the terms of its policy as permitted in this subsection shall have a right of contribution against other insurers that provide automobile insurance to the same driver in satisfaction of the coverage requirements of sub. (1) at the time of loss.
(d) In a claims coverage investigation, transportation network companies and any insurer potentially providing coverage under sub. (1) shall cooperate to facilitate the exchange of relevant information with directly involved parties and any insurer of the participating driver if applicable, including the precise times that a participating driver logged on and off the transportation network company's digital network in the 12-hour period immediately preceding, and in the 12-hour period immediately following, the accident, and disclose to one another a clear description of the coverage, exclusions, and limits provided under any automobile insurance maintained under sub. (1).
(e) If a transportation network company's insurer covers a claim under a policy's comprehensive or collision coverage, the insurer shall issue the payment for the claim to either of the following, as directed by the transportation network company:
1. Jointly to the owner of the personal vehicle and the primary lienholder.
2. Directly to the person repairing the personal vehicle in satisfaction of completion of repairs as payment in full.
History: 2015 a. 16.
