5 questions

Montana P&C/PL Law & Regulation

What are the minimum auto liability limits a personal auto policy must carry to satisfy Montana's financial-responsibility law?

  • a.$25,000 per person / $50,000 per accident bodily injury and $20,000 property damage✓
  • b.$15,000 per person / $30,000 per accident bodily injury and $10,000 property damage
  • c.$50,000 per person / $100,000 per accident bodily injury and $50,000 property damage
  • d.$25,000 per person / $50,000 per accident bodily injury and $25,000 property damage

Montana sets minimum auto liability limits of 25/50/20 — $25,000 per person / $50,000 per accident for bodily injury, and $20,000 for property damage. Note the property-damage figure is $20,000, not $25,000. Source: Mont. Code Ann. 61-6-103; verify current figures with the Montana Commissioner of Securities and Insurance.

Montana P&C/PL Law & Regulation

How does Montana handle liability for auto accidents?

  • a.It is a traditional at-fault (tort) state; the at-fault driver is responsible for the other party's injuries and damage✓
  • b.It is an add-on no-fault state requiring mandatory PIP on every policy
  • c.It bars all lawsuits between drivers and routes claims through a state fund
  • d.It is a pure no-fault state; each driver's own insurer pays regardless of fault

Montana is a traditional at-fault (tort) state: the driver responsible for a crash is liable for the other party's injuries and property damage, which is why liability limits matter. It does not use a no-fault/PIP system. Source: Montana CSI (https://csimt.gov/).

Montana P&C/PL Law & Regulation

With respect to uninsured/underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) coverage on a Montana personal auto policy, which is generally true?

  • a.Insurers must make UM/UIM coverage available; the insured may typically accept or reject it in writing✓
  • b.UM/UIM is prohibited in the state
  • c.UM/UIM is only available to commercial fleets
  • d.UM/UIM automatically replaces liability coverage

State auto laws generally require insurers to offer uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage; the applicant may accept it or reject it, often with a signed election. UM/UIM protects the insured when the at-fault driver has no or insufficient coverage — important in an at-fault state like Montana. Confirm the current UM/UIM rules with the Montana Commissioner of Securities and Insurance.

Montana P&C/PL Law & Regulation

How are cancellation and nonrenewal of a personal auto or homeowners policy regulated in Montana?

  • a.There are no notice rules; cancellation is governed solely by the contract
  • b.State law limits the reasons an insurer may cancel or nonrenew and requires advance written notice to the insured; confirm the exact notice period with the Montana Commissioner of Securities and Insurance✓
  • c.An insurer may cancel any personal policy at any time for any reason with no notice
  • d.Only the policyholder may ever cancel; insurers can never cancel mid-term

Montana, like other states, restricts mid-term cancellation of personal auto and homeowners policies to specified reasons (such as nonpayment or material misrepresentation) and requires advance written notice of cancellation or nonrenewal. The exact number of days varies by reason and line — verify the current Montana notice periods with the Montana Commissioner of Securities and Insurance.

Montana P&C/PL Law & Regulation

Which best describes the body that writes and enforces Montana's insurance regulations affecting personal lines policies?

  • a.The federal Department of Insurance in Washington, D.C.
  • b.The Commissioner of Securities and Insurance (Office of the Montana State Auditor), a state regulator✓
  • c.The county clerk and recorder where the policy is issued
  • d.A private trade association of insurers with no government authority

Insurance in Montana is regulated at the state level by the Commissioner of Securities and Insurance, in the Office of the Montana State Auditor (CSI). There is no federal department of insurance; each state (including Montana) supervises its own market, licenses producers, and enforces cancellation, rating, and coverage rules. Source: Montana CSI (https://csimt.gov/).

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