As used in sections 38a-341 to 38a-346, inclusive:

Terms Used In Connecticut General Statutes 38a-341

  • Insurance: means any agreement to pay a sum of money, provide services or any other thing of value on the happening of a particular event or contingency or to provide indemnity for loss in respect to a specified subject by specified perils in return for a consideration. See Connecticut General Statutes 38a-1
  • Insured: means a person to whom or for whose benefit an insurer makes a promise in an insurance policy. See Connecticut General Statutes 38a-1
  • Policy: means any document, including attached endorsements and riders, purporting to be an enforceable contract, which memorializes in writing some or all of the terms of an insurance contract. See Connecticut General Statutes 38a-1
  • State: means any state, district, or territory of the United States. See Connecticut General Statutes 38a-1

(1) “Policy” means an automobile liability insurance policy providing among other coverage bodily injury liability, delivered or issued for delivery in this state, insuring a single individual or spouses resident of the same household, as named insured, and under which the insured vehicles therein designated are of the following types only: (A) A motor vehicle of the private passenger or station wagon type that is not used as a public or livery conveyance for passengers, nor rented to others, or (B) any other four-wheel motor vehicle with a load capacity of fifteen hundred pounds or less that is not used in the occupation, profession or business of the insured, provided said sections shall not apply to (i) any policy insuring more than four automobiles, (ii) any policy covering garage, automobile sales agency, repair shop, service station or public parking place operation hazards, or (iii) any policy of insurance issued principally to cover personal or premises liability of an insured even though the insurance may also provide some incidental coverage for liability arising out of the ownership, maintenance or use of a motor vehicle on the premises of the insured or on the ways immediately adjoining the premises;

(2) “Renewal” or “to renew” means the issuance and delivery by an insurer of a policy replacing at the end of the policy period a policy previously issued and delivered by the same insurer, or the issuance and delivery of a certificate or notice extending the term of the policy beyond its policy period or term. Any policy with a policy period or term of less than six months shall, for the purpose of sections 38a-341 to 38a-346, inclusive, be considered as if written for a policy period or term of six months and any policy written for a term longer than one year or any policy with no fixed expiration date, shall for the purpose of said sections, be considered as if written for successive policy periods or terms of one year. Such a policy may be terminated at the expiration of any annual period upon giving thirty days’ notice of cancellation prior to the anniversary date, and such cancellation shall not be subject to any other provisions of said sections;

(3) “Nonpayment of premium” means failure of the named insured to discharge when due any of such insured’s obligations in connection with the payment of premiums on the policy, or any installment of such premium, whether the premium is payable directly to the insurer or its agent or indirectly under any premium finance plan or extension of credit. Nonpayment of premium includes, but is not limited to, the dishonor of any check, draft or other remittance upon presentment for payment;

(4) “Declination” means: (A) With respect to a producer, denial in whole or in part of an applicant’s written request for coverage; failure to submit within a reasonable period of time a completed written application for coverage to a specific insurer that the producer represents or with which the producer has an account and that is requested in writing by the applicant; placement of a risk with a residual market, an unauthorized insurer, or an insurer that specializes in substandard risks; or refusal to provide, upon written request, an application for coverage; (B) with respect to an insurer that conducts its business through independent licensed insurance producers, refusal to issue a policy after receipt of a completed written application for coverage from a producer who represents it or from a producer with whom it has an account; or (C) with respect to an insurer other than one specified in subparagraph (B) of this subdivision, refusal to issue a policy after receipt of a completed written application, or refusal to provide, upon written request, an application for coverage.