Section 12935 Of Article 1. Generally From California Insurance Code >> Division 3. >> Chapter 2. >> Article 1.
12935
. (a) The commissioner, by January 1, 1997, shall develop and
make available to the general public, in the two most common
non-English languages spoken in the state, which are Spanish and
Vietnamese, informational sheets that provide a general explanation
in those languages, of the terms most commonly used in passenger
automobile and pickup truck liability insurance policies.
(b) These informational sheets are intended to provide only the
general explanation of these insurance terms, and in the case of a
dispute between an insurer and an insured, the policy as written in
English will prevail. The development of informational sheets or the
use of these informational sheets by insureds, insurers, agents,
brokers, or the state shall not be interpreted as creating a duty or
obligation to provide additional information or insurance policies in
a non-English language.
(c) An informational sheet developed by the commissioner shall
include a disclaimer, prominently displayed in 24-point type print at
the beginning of the informational sheet, in the non-English
language, that contains all of the following information:
(1) The informational sheet is for informational purposes only.
(2) The actual terms of an insurance policy prevail over the
information provided in the informational sheet.
(3) In the case of a dispute, the insurance policy is controlling
and a court will rely on the policy as it is written in English to
resolve the dispute.
(4) The policy is the sole source of rights and obligations of the
insurer and the insured.
(5) The information contained in the informational sheets does not
create rights or obligations on the part of the insured, the
insurer, the agent, the broker, or the state.
(6) The informational sheet is not intended to be a substitute for
the actual policy written in English.
(d) The commissioner may develop informational sheets regarding
other forms of insurance.
(e) The commissioner may develop informational sheets in foreign
languages, other than Spanish and Vietnamese, as needed.
(f) Once developed by the commissioner, he or she may produce
public service announcements concerning the availability of these
informational sheets, to be utilized in those communities that the
commissioner deems would benefit from the information.
(g) This section does not prevent an insurer or licensee from
advertising an insurance policy, or the availability of a foreign
language informational sheet, or the availability of a translation of
an insurance policy, in a language other than English if the
advertisement clearly states that the insurance policy is only
available in English. However, in the case of a dispute, the
insurance policy is controlling and any of those advertisements for
insurance policies, informational sheets, or translations shall not
be construed to modify or change the insurance policy.