33-18-225. Designation of specific car rental business prohibited. - Montana Statutes

     33-18-225. Designation of specific car rental business prohibited. (1) An insurance company, including its producers and adjusters, that issues or renews a policy of insurance in this state covering, in whole or in part, a motor vehicle may not:
     (a) require that a person, whether or not insured by the insurance company, for whom the insurance company is obligated to provide a car rental while the person's own car is being repaired use a particular car rental business; or
     (b) engage in any act or practice that intimidates, coerces, or threatens a person to use a particular car rental business.
     (2) (a) An insurance company that is subject to the provisions of this section and that provides for direct payment to any one or more car rental businesses in this state must provide for direct payment to any car rental business selected by a person described in subsection (1)(a).
     (b) For the purposes of this section, "direct payment" means a method by which an insurance company makes a direct payment on behalf of an insured or a third party either through electronic means or by check to a car rental business.
     (c) The insurance company may approve the daily rate to be paid by the insurance company based on the car classification.
     (d) The insurance company is not obligated to pay more to the car rental business than is provided in the insured's policy limits pursuant to 33-23-203.
     (3) This section does not require an insurer to pay more for a comparable car rental than the lowest price negotiated between a car rental business and the insurer.
     (4) This section does not prohibit an insurer, its producers, or its adjusters from providing to a customer the name of a car rental business with which arrangements may have been made to provide car rental services as long as the ultimate choice is left to the person described in subsection (1)(a).

     History: En. Sec. 1, Ch. 251, L. 2005.