Upon finding that an insurance emergency has occurred, the commissioner, by order, may suspend any deadlines established by rule that apply to actions taken in the course of evaluating or settling claims and, may establish new deadlines in place of those that have been suspended. For purposes of this section, "insurance emergency" means an event, either natural or man-made, which in the opinion of the commissioner is reasonably likely to produce a volume of claims, for a particular place and time, that significantly exceeds the number of claims normally arising in that place and for that time. The commissioner shall limit the order to accommodate the anticipated increase in claims by specifying the geographic area in which claims to which the new deadlines apply arise, the time period during which the claims arise, the cause or nature of the claims, the relative priority of the claims or other characteristics of the claims that the commissioner considers appropriate.
Structure West Virginia Code
Article 2. Insurance Commissioner
§33-2-1. Office Continued; Appointment, Qualifications and Term
§33-2-2. Compensation and Expenses of Commissioner and Employees; Location of Office
§33-2-3. Duties of the Commissioner; Employment of Legal Counsel
§33-2-3a. Administrative Investigations
§33-2-4. Authority to Take Depositions, Subpoena Witnesses, etc.
§33-2-6. Service of Subpoena; Compelling Compliance
§33-2-8. Insured to Produce Records Upon Request
§33-2-9. Examination of Insurers, Agents, Brokers and Solicitors; Access to Books, Records, etc.
§33-2-9a. Imposing a One-Time Assessment on All Insurance Carriers
§33-2-10. Rules and Regulations
§33-2-10a. Insurance Emergencies -- Suspension of Deadlines
§33-2-11. Enforcement of Orders; Revocation of Licenses; Court Action
§33-2-15. Annual Report by Commissioner
§33-2-15a. Annual Flood Insurance Communication to Public Entities by Commissioner
§33-2-15b. Reports to the Legislature
§33-2-15c. Reports to the Legislature
§33-2-15d. Report to the Legislature
§33-2-17. Office of Consumer Advocacy
§33-2-19. Confidentiality of Information
§33-2-21a. State Agency Workers' Compensation Programs
§33-2-23. Transfer of Assets of the State Office of the National Flood Insurance Program