The Maine Department of Professional & Financial Regulation Bureau of Insurance published a bulletin addressing the change of the statutory definition of "reportable accident." A reportable accident is an accident resulting in bodily injury or death or apparent property damage of $2,000 or more. This definition was amended in 2023 to change the previous property damage limit of $1,000 to $2,000. The change took effect on October 25, 2023. 

This updated definition is important for the automobile insurance industry in Maine as personal auto policies cannot be nonrenewed due to accident history unless the accidents meet certain standards set in 24-A M.R.S. § 2916-A. One such standard is if an insured is involved in two or more vehicle accidents that result in personal injury or property damage over $2,000. This means that accidents with apparent property damage of less than $2,000 and no bodily injury or death cannot be used toward nonrenewing an insured's policy. 

August 12, 2024 update – Bulletin 480:

The Department clarifies that the previous interpretation of the nonrenewal criteria was misinterpreted. The nonrenewal criteria found in 24-A M.R.S § 2916-A (2) does not always require an accident to be "reportable" for an insurer to consider that accident when nonrenewing a personal auto policy.