Maine law requires insurance coverage for towing and storage charges
Coverage is triggered by an accident and when the insured vehicle is towed at the request of a law enforcement officer.
The Maine Department of Professional & Financial Regulation Bureau of Insurance published a Bulletin informing auto insurers of Maine’s new motor vehicle financial responsibility law requiring coverage for towing and storage charges. Coverage must be provided for up to $500 per accident when the policyholder is responsible for paying towing and storage charges for the insured vehicle. Coverage is triggered by an accident and when the insured vehicle is towed at the request of a law enforcement officer.
The law will be in effect July 1, 2024, and apply to all issued or renewed policies. Insurers with policies already in force before July 1 will not be required to add this coverage mid-term, but it must be included when the policy is renewed after July 1.
The Bureau states that since this coverage is not traditionally offered in auto policies, it may not easily fit into existing policies. It is not a traditional liability coverage since it does not depend on a claim for third-party bodily injury or property damage, nor is it a traditional physical damage coverage since it is required to be provided even when the insured does not opt for collision, comprehensive, or towing coverage. Some ways insurers have chosen to offer towing and storage charges coverage include modifying Physical Damage language to include it, including it in General Conditions, Additional Coverage, or adding it as a separate Insuring Agreement.
The Bulletin can be found here.