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Nueva Ley 20.667 que regula el Contrato de Seguro entró en vigencia
La larga espera por la reforma a la legislación Chilena del contrato de seguros finalmente ha visto la luz. El 9 de mayo se publicó en el Diario Oficial la Ley 20.667 que regula el Contrato de Seguro y entró en vigencia el 1 de diciembre de 2013.
La regulación del contrato de seguro fue creada en 1865, por lo cual era necesario actualizar y modernizar las normas. La intención de la nueva regulación es lograr una armonía entre la legislación del contrato de seguro y la realidad económica actual, conforme a la evolución nacional e internacional del seguro. Sin embargo, algunos críticos consideran que en la nueva ley hay un enfoque excesivo de los contratos de seguro como productos de consumo.
Las principales innovaciones que establece la ley son las siguientes:
- El contrato de seguro puede ser probado por cualquier medio, como mensajes de correo electrónico y cualquier sistema de transmisión y registro digital o electrónico de la palabra escrita o verbal.
- Reticencias. El deber de revelación del asegurado ha ido cambiando en contra de las compañías de seguro. De esta manera, el asegurado no tendrá el deber de revelar circunstancias relevantes para determinar los riesgos, a menos que sea solicitado específicamente por la Compañía de Seguros.
- Agravación de los riesgos. Se introducen regulaciones detalladas sobre la revelación de eventos que agravan los riesgos del asegurado. Sin embargo, respecto de los seguros personales, incluyendo los seguros personales aplicables a actividades peligrosas, son inexplicablemente excluidos de esta regulación.
- Reconocimiento de la contratación colectiva de seguros, con regulación específica de la forma y emisión de certificados de seguro.
- Se regula el "derecho de retracto", estableciendo el derecho para el asegurado de retractarse del contrato de seguro celebrado a distancia. Este derecho puede ser ejercido dentro de 10 días contados desde la recepción de la póliza, sin expresión de causa y sin cargo alguno para el asegurado, teniendo el derecho a devolución de la prima pagada.
- El asegurado tiene más libertad que el asegurador para poner término anticipado al contrato.
- Las disposiciones de esta ley que rigen al contrato de seguro son imperativas, es decir, tienen carácter de orden público, excepto en relación con los seguros de daños en que tanto asegurado como beneficiario sean personas jurídicas y el monto de la prima anual sea superior a 200 Unidades de Fomento. (Aproximadamente US$9.500).
- Los conflictos entre asegurado y asegurador podrán ser resueltos por árbitros, pero en las disputas entre asegurado y asegurador que surjan con motivo de un siniestro de monto inferior a 10.000 Unidades de Fomento (Aproximadamente US$475.000), el asegurado podrá ejercer su acción ante la Justicia Ordinaria.
- Las Compañías de Seguros deberán enviar a la Superintendencia de Valores y Seguros copia autorizada de las sentencias definitivas que se pronuncien sobre materias propias de la ley que regulan el contrato de seguro, dictadas en procesos en que hayan sido parte, las cuales quedarán a disposición del público, mejorando enormemente el acceso a los precedentes.
- Por primera vez, se establece el reconocimiento específico y regulación para cierto tipo de seguros, como el seguro de robo, hurto y otras sustracciones, el seguro de responsabilidad civil, el seguro de pérdida de beneficios, el seguro de crédito y el seguro de caución.
- Otras mejoras introducidas por esta nueva ley incluyen reglas de concurrencia de pólizas, la regulación del interés asegurable (que está mejor definido en conformidad a los distintos tipos de seguros) y la concurrencia de causas de siniestros.
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CHILE ADOPTS A LONG AWAITED REFORM TO INSURANCE CONTRACTS
The long awaited reform to Chile's insurance contract legislation has finally come to light. On the 9th of May 2013 the Official Gazette of Chile published Law 20,667 which regulates Insurance Contracts. The new law came into force on 1st December 2013.
The current regulation of insurance contracts was created in 1865 which is why modernization was necessary to bring the regulations up to date. The intention of the new law is to bring harmony between legislation and current economic reality, conforming the regulation of insurance contracts to the national and international evolution of insurance. However, some critics consider there is an excessive focus in the new law on insurance contracts as consumer products.
In the first articles of the law, it is evident that the law tries to reflect the reality of the current insurance market and unifies basic concepts which are deeply-rooted in the practices of the market. From now on these concepts will be part of the law that regulates the insurance contract, making it easier to interpret insurance policies.
It is worth highlighting the following innovations introduced by this law:
- Insurance contracts may now be proven by means such as e-mails and any other documented form of digital or electronic transmission, be it verbal or written. This characteristic is a consequence of the fact that the insurance contract is not longer a formal contract, and is clearly in line with current practice.
- The duty of disclosure of the insured has been shifted against insurance companies. Thus, the insured will not have a duty to disclose relevant circumstances to determine risks unless specifically asked by the insurance company. This means that if the relevant question on risks is not asked by the insurance company in the relevant insurance application form, then the future insured will not have a duty of disclosure. This is a clear example of how the legislator views insurance as a consumer product.
- Detailed regulations are introduced regarding the disclosure of events that increase the insured risks. These rules try to accommodate every possible scenario. It reflects the clauses that are usually established in insurance contracts in the market, especially those created in the last few years. However, personal insurance, including personal insurance applicable to hazardous activities, is inexplicably excluded from such regulation.
- The recognition of collective insurance contracts, with specific regulation as to form and issuance of certificates of insurance.
- Remote contracting is regulated, establishing the right of the insured to withdraw from the contract. This right must be exercised within 10 days from the receipt of the policy. No expression of cause is necessary and no added cost will can be incurred, maintaining the right to a full refund of the premium. This regulation is very similar to the relevant provisions of the consumer rights protection law. Again, the legislator seems to be characterizing insurance almost exclusively as a consumer product.
- The insured have a greater freedom than the insurer to withdraw from the contract.
- The provisions of this law that regulate the insurance contract are ?imperative?, meaning that they are characterized as public order, except in relation to policies where both insured and beneficiaries are legal entities (i.e. not individuals) and the value of the annual premiums is more than UF 200 (Unidades de Fomento) (approx. US$ 9,500).
- Conflicts between insurer and insured can be resolved by arbitrator, but the insured can file a suit in with the ordinary courts in disputes that derive from losses with a value of less than UF 10.000 (Unidades de Fomento) (approx. US$ 475,000). This rule has the purpose of protecting small and medium sized companies considering the costs of litigating before the ordinary courts are lower than doing so before an arbitral court. In the case of losses for higher amount the dispute resolution mechanism shall continue to be arbitration.
- The Insurance Companies must send authorized copies of final judgments which are issued by the regulations of insurance contracts to the Superintendencia de Valores y Seguros. This will be information will now be available to the public thereby greatly improving access to precedents.
- For the first time specific recognition and regulations are introduced for certain types of insurance such as civil liability insurance, credit insurance, bonding, loss of gains and business interruption insurance.
- Other improvements introduced by this new law include the rules on concurrency of policies, the regulation of insurable interest (which is better defined according to the different types of insurance) and concurrency of causes of losses. In relation to the regulation of plurality or concurrency of policies that cover the same subject, interest and risk, the law gives the insured the possibility to claim the payment of any loss to any one insurer. As a way to prevent betterment the law establishes that when the insured reports the loss he is obligated to communicate to every insurer the existence of the other policies. This will allow the insurer that pays the loss to be reimbursed pro rata from the other insurers. Also, the law establishes that if the insured gets a payment for an amount which is higher than the amount of his loss, the insurers can claim reimbursement to the insured for what they have paid in excess and have the ability to charge damages or file a criminal suit if the insured acts in bad faith. This way of regulating the concurrency of insurance policies has been applauded by the insurance industry.
All in all, despite certain aspects that may be criticized, this new statute constitutes considerable progress and should contribute further to the growth of the insurance market in Chile.
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