§ 56-7-1119 — Exclusion of coverage to owner or operator while logged onto transportation network company's digital network or providing a prearranged ride

Tennessee § 56-7-1119

• Jurisdiction: Tennessee
• Title: 56

Text

(a) As used in this section: (1) "Digital network" means any online-enabled application, software, web site, or system offered or utilized by a transportation network company that enables the prearrangement of rides with transportation network company drivers; (2) "Personal vehicle" means a vehicle that is used by a transportation network company driver and is: (A) Owned, leased, or otherwise authorized for use by the transportation network company driver; and (B) Not a taxicab, limousine, or for-hire vehicle; (3) "Prearranged ride" means the provision of transportation by a driver to a rider, beginning when a driver accepts a ride requested by a rider through a digital network controlled by a transportation network company, continuing while the driver transports a requesting rider, and ending when the last requesting rider departs from the personal vehicle. A prearranged ride does not include: (A) Shared expense carpool or vanpool arrangements provided by businesses engaged in the rental of motor vehicles; or (B) Transportation provided using a taxi, limousine, or other for-hire vehicle regulated pursuant to § 7-51-1003 ; (4) "Transportation network company" means a corporation, partnership, sole proprietorship, or other entity operating in this state that uses a digital network to connect transportation network company riders to transportation network company drivers who provide prearranged rides. A transportation network company shall not be deemed to control, direct, or manage the personal vehicles or transportation network company drivers that connect to its digital network, except where agreed to by written contract; (5) "Transportation network company driver" or "driver" means an individual who: (A) Receives connections to potential passengers and related services from a transportation network company in exchange for payment of a fee to the transportation network company; and (B) Uses a personal vehicle to provide a prearranged ride to riders upon connection through a digital network controlled by a transportation network company in return for compensation or payment of a fee; and (6) "Transportation network company rider" or "rider" means a person or persons who use a transportation network company's digital network to connect with a transportation network driver who provides prearranged rides to the rider in the driver's personal vehicle between points chosen by the rider. (b) Insurers that write automobile insurance in this state may exclude any and all coverage afforded under the policy issued to an owner or operator of a personal vehicle for any loss or injury that occurs while a driver is logged on to a transportation network company's digital network or while a driver provides a prearranged ride. This right to exclude all coverage may apply to any coverage included in an automobile insurance policy including, but not limited to: (1) Liability coverage for bodily injury and property damage; (2) Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage; (3) Medical payments coverage; (4) Comprehensive physical damage coverage; and (5) Collision physical damage coverage. (c) The exclusions in subsection (b) shall apply notwithstanding any requirement under this title or under title 55, chapter 12. Nothing in this section 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 a prearranged ride, or while the driver otherwise uses a vehicle to transport passengers for compensation. (d) Automobile insurers that exclude coverage as described in subsection (b) shall have no duty to defend or indemnify any claim expressly excluded. Nothing in this section shall invalidate or limit an exclusion contained in a policy, including any policy in use or approved for use in this state prior to May 20, 2015, that excludes coverage for vehicles used to carry persons or property for a charge or available for hire by the public. (e) An automobile insurer that defends or indemnifies a claim against a driver that is excluded under the terms of its policy as described in subsection (b) shall have a right of contribution against other insurers that provide automobile insurance to the same driver in satisfaction of the coverage requirements of § 55-12-141 at the time of loss. (f) In a claims coverage investigation, transportation network companies and any insurer potentially providing coverage under § 55-12-141 shall cooperate to facilitate the exchange of relevant information with directly involved parties and any insurer of the transportation network company driver, if applicable, including the precise times that a transportation network company driver logged on and off of the transportation network company's digital network in the twelve-hour period immediately preceding and in the twelve-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 § 55-12-141 . (g) Nothing in this section shall preclude an insurer from providing coverage for a transportation network company driver's vehicle, if it so chooses to do so by contract or endorsement. (h) (1) Nothing in this section shall limit the right of a lender or secured party of a driver's vehicle to require a driver to maintain comprehensive damage coverage, collision damage coverage, or both for a driver's vehicle, or to show evidence of such coverage to the lender or secured party, that would cover the period when the driver is logged on to the transportation network company's digital network but is not engaged in a prearranged ride or when the driver is engaged in a prearranged ride. If the driver fails to maintain the required comprehensive or collision damage coverage, or to show evidence to the lender or secured party of the coverage upon reasonable request by the lender or secured party, the lender or secured party may obtain the coverage at the expense of the driver and shall have no duty to provide the disclosure under § 56-7-1106 . (2) If a lender or a secured party has a secured interest in a driver's vehicle and a transportation network company's insurer makes a payment for a claim for damage to the driver's vehicle that is covered under comprehensive or collision damage coverage held by the transportation network company, then the transportation network company shall cause its insurer to issue the payment either directly to the vehicle repair shop or jointly to the owner of the vehicle and the primary lender or secured party on the covered vehicle.

Legislative History

Acts 2015, ch. 520, § 3.