631.904 Definitions. - Florida Statutes

631.904 Definitions.

As used in this part, the term:

   (1) “Corporation” means the Florida Workers’ Compensation Insurance Guaranty Association, Incorporated.

   (2) “Covered claim” means an unpaid claim, including a claim for return of unearned premiums, which arises out of, is within the coverage of, and is not in excess of the applicable limits of, an insurance policy to which this part applies, which policy was issued by an insurer and which claim is made on behalf of a claimant or insured who was a resident of this state at the time of the injury. The term “covered claim” includes unpaid claims under any employer liability coverage of a workers’ compensation policy limited to the lesser of $300,000 or the limits of the policy. The term “covered claim” does not include any amount sought as a return of premium under any retrospective rating plan; any amount due any reinsurer, insurer, insurance pool, or underwriting association, as subrogation recoveries or otherwise; any claim that would otherwise be a covered claim that has been rejected by any other state guaranty fund on the grounds that the insured’s net worth is greater than that allowed under that state’s guaranty fund or liquidation law, except this exclusion from the definition of covered claim shall not apply to employers who, prior to April 30, 2004, entered into an agreement with the corporation preserving the employer’s right to seek coverage of claims rejected by another state’s guaranty fund; or any return of premium resulting from a policy that was not in force on the date of the final order of liquidation. Member insurers have no right of subrogation against the insured of any insolvent insurer. This provision shall be applied retroactively to cover claims of an insolvent self-insurance fund resulting from accidents or losses incurred prior to January 1, 1994, regardless of the date the petition in circuit court was filed alleging insolvency and the date the court entered an order appointing a receiver.

   (3) “Insolvency” means that condition in which all of the assets of the insurer, if made immediately available, would not be sufficient to discharge all of its liabilities or that condition in which the insurer is unable to pay its debts as they become due in the usual course of business. When the context of any provision of this part so indicates, insolvency also includes impairment of surplus or impairment of capital.

   (4) “Insolvent insurer” means an insurer that was authorized to transact insurance in this state, either at the time the policy was issued or when the insured event occurred, and against which an order of liquidation with a finding of insolvency has been entered by a court of competent jurisdiction if such order has become final by the exhaustion of appellate review.

   (5) “Insurer” means an insurance carrier or self-insurance fund authorized to insure under chapter 440. For purposes of this act, “insurer” does not include a qualified local government self-insurance fund, as defined in s. 624.4622, or an individual self-insurer as defined in s. 440.385.

   (6) “Self-insurance fund” means a group self-insurance fund authorized under s. 624.4621, a commercial self-insurance fund writing workers’ compensation insurance authorized under s. 624.462, or an assessable mutual insurer authorized under s. 628.6011. For purposes of this act, the term “self-insurance fund” does not include a qualified local government self-insurance fund, as defined in s. 624.4622, an independent educational institution self-insurance fund as defined in s. 624.4623, an electric cooperative self-insurance fund as described in s. 624.4626, or an individual self-insurer as defined in s. 440.385.

History. s. 20, ch. 97-262; s. 17, ch. 2002-25; s. 10, ch. 2002-282; s. 1371, ch. 2003-261; s. 2, ch. 2004-89; s. 38, ch. 2004-374; s. 4, ch. 2009-116; s. 10, ch. 2010-49.