Awake Foundation / Insurance Transparency Reform / Authorities
Source-of-truth library

Insurance Transparency Authority Library

Move from a reform proposition to the rule, statute, form, case, or court practice that actually supports it — and distinguish current law from the repair we propose.

The library is designed around a simple publication rule: no advocacy proposition should outrun its authority. Current law, practice examples, case holdings, and model legislation are separate layers.

The central comparison is timing: courts routinely require insurance information after litigation begins. Reform asks which core coverage facts should be available early enough to help an injured person decide whether litigation is rational at all.
Future link architecture: other Awake Foundation pages can link to a stable anchor on this page — for example /reform/authorities#ca-ccp-2017-210 — and this page then routes the reader to the official source. That gives us one place to update authority links when government websites change.

Federal Baseline

Official sourceFED-FRCP-1

Fed. R. Civ. P. 1

Just, speedy, inexpensive determination

Federal civil rules are administered to secure just, speedy, and inexpensive resolution.

Use / limit: Principle-level authority; not an independent disclosure mandate.

Open source authority ↗

Official sourceFED-FRCP-26-A1-A4

Fed. R. Civ. P. 26(a)(1)(A)(iv)

Automatic insurance agreement disclosure

Without awaiting a discovery request, a party must make available any insurance agreement under which an insurance business may satisfy, indemnify, or reimburse a possible judgment.

Use / limit: Core national comparison point. Verify current rule text before quoting a deadline.

Open source authority ↗

Official sourceFED-FRCP-26-A1-C

Fed. R. Civ. P. 26(a)(1)(C)

Timing of initial disclosures

Initial disclosures are ordinarily due within 14 days after the Rule 26(f) conference unless a different time is set by stipulation or court order.

Use / limit: Timing can be modified; do not state as universal without the rule exceptions.

Open source authority ↗

Official sourceFED-FRCP-26-C

Fed. R. Civ. P. 26(c)

Protective orders

A court may issue protective orders for good cause to protect against annoyance, embarrassment, oppression, or undue burden or expense.

Use / limit: Useful counterpoint: disclosure and privacy protection can coexist.

Open source authority ↗

Official sourceFED-FRCP-26-F

Fed. R. Civ. P. 26(f)

Discovery planning conference

Parties confer early to plan discovery and disclosures.

Use / limit: Context for timing of federal initial disclosures.

Open source authority ↗

Official sourceFED-FRCP-26-G

Fed. R. Civ. P. 26(g)

Signature and reasonable inquiry

A disclosure signature certifies, after reasonable inquiry, that the disclosure is complete and correct as of the time made.

Use / limit: Useful design analogue for a proposed Coverage Search Record; do not suggest Rule 26(g) presently governs pre-suit requests.

Open source authority ↗

Official sourceFED-FRE-411

Fed. R. Evid. 411

Liability insurance evidence

Evidence of liability insurance is generally not admissible to prove negligence or wrongful conduct, although it may be admissible for another purpose.

Use / limit: Discovery/disclosure and admissibility are separate questions.

Open source authority ↗

California Statutes, Rules & Forms

Official sourceCA-CCP-2017-210

CCP § 2017.210

Insurance agreement discovery

A party may discover the existence and contents of insurance agreements that may satisfy a judgment, including carrier identity and nature and limits of coverage; coverage-dispute existence may be discovered but not its substance.

Use / limit: Post-filing party discovery statute; does not create general pre-suit claimant disclosure.

Open source authority ↗

Official sourceCA-CCP-2031-020

CCP § 2031.020

Plaintiff timing for inspection demands

A plaintiff generally may serve document inspection demands 10 days after service of summons or appearance, whichever occurs first; earlier discovery may be allowed for good cause.

Use / limit: Illustrates that obtaining party discovery ordinarily presupposes filing/service or appearance.

Open source authority ↗

Official sourceCA-CCP-2030-020

CCP § 2030.020

Plaintiff timing for interrogatories

A plaintiff generally may serve interrogatories 10 days after service of summons or appearance; earlier discovery may be allowed for good cause.

Use / limit: Same litigation-gate comparison; exceptions and special proceedings must be considered.

Open source authority ↗

Official sourceCA-CCP-999

CCP § 999

Time-limited demand policy and definition

California declares prompt settlement beneficial and defines a time-limited demand as a pre-complaint or pre-arbitration limits demand.

Use / limit: Useful asymmetry: detailed pre-suit settlement-demand rules do not themselves create a broad pre-suit coverage-architecture disclosure regime.

Open source authority ↗

Official sourceCA-CCP-999-1

CCP § 999.1

Required terms of time-limited demand

Specifies minimum response periods and material terms for a statutory time-limited demand, including a complete release and reasonable proof.

Use / limit: Do not conflate with an insurance disclosure statute.

Open source authority ↗

Official sourceCA-CRC-3-724

Cal. Rules of Court, rule 3.724

Meet and confer before CMC

Parties must meet and confer before the case management conference regarding case-management subjects.

Use / limit: Court website may return bot-protection errors to automated tools; URL is official.

Open source authority ↗

Official sourceCA-CRC-3-725

Cal. Rules of Court, rule 3.725

Case management statement

Parties must file a Case Management Statement on mandatory form CM-110 before the CMC under the statewide rule.

Use / limit: Check court-specific calendars and local rules for additional timing requirements.

Open source authority ↗

Official sourceCA-CRC-3-727

Cal. Rules of Court, rule 3.727(19)

Insurance coverage at case management

Parties must address whether insurance coverage issues may affect resolution of the case.

Use / limit: Strong evidence that coverage information matters to efficient case resolution after filing.

Open source authority ↗

Official sourceCA-CRC-3-728

Cal. Rules of Court, rule 3.728

Case management order

The court enters a case-management order and may address matters presented under the case-management rules.

Use / limit: General management authority; not a pre-suit disclosure rule.

Open source authority ↗

Official sourceCA-FORM-CM-110

CM-110, item 11

Case Management Statement — Insurance

CM-110 asks for the insurance carrier, whether there is a reservation of rights, and whether coverage issues will significantly affect resolution.

Use / limit: Form may contain additional items; cite the current form before quoting exact wording.

Open source authority ↗

Official sourceCA-INS-11580-2-A

Ins. Code § 11580.2(a)

UM coverage baseline

California automobile liability policies generally include UM coverage subject to statutory written deletion/reduction mechanisms and specified exceptions.

Use / limit: Complex statute; quote only the relevant subsection.

Open source authority ↗

Official sourceCA-INS-11580-2-F

Ins. Code § 11580.2(f)

UM discovery before arbitration

The statute supplies Civil Discovery Act mechanisms between the insured and UM insurer after an accident, including specified depositions, interrogatories, and requests for admission, without requiring a previously pending tort action.

Use / limit: Discovery is between insured and insurer and subject to statutory timing/venue rules; it does not itself disclose tortfeasor coverage architecture.

Open source authority ↗

Official sourceCA-INS-11580-2-H

Ins. Code § 11580.2(h)

UM payment without release of other coverage

The statute provides that an insured entitled to UM recovery is not required to release rights under other applicable insurance, and payment may not be delayed solely pending allocation decisions under other liability insurance or bonds.

Use / limit: Apply to the statutory conditions; do not overgeneralize beyond the text.

Open source authority ↗

Official sourceCA-INS-11580-1

Ins. Code § 11580.1

Automobile liability policy requirements

Sets statutory requirements and permitted provisions/exclusions for California motor vehicle liability policies.

Use / limit: Do not infer the effect of any particular business-use exclusion without the actual policy and applicable law.

Open source authority ↗

Official sourceCA-VEH-16020

Veh. Code § 16020

Evidence of financial responsibility

Drivers and owners must be able to establish financial responsibility and carry evidence for the vehicle; statutory evidence can be an insurer form, binder, self-insurance proof, or specified electronic/registration information.

Use / limit: Supports the distinction between proof at the scene and a complete post-loss coverage investigation.

Open source authority ↗

Official sourceCA-VEH-16056

Veh. Code § 16056

Financial responsibility minimum limits

For policies/bonds issued or renewed on or after Jan. 1, 2025, the statutory minimum is 30/60/15; higher minimums are scheduled for 2035.

Use / limit: Policy limits can exceed statutory minimums; minimum limits do not establish the full coverage stack.

Open source authority ↗

Official sourceCA-INS-790-03-H

Ins. Code § 790.03(h)

Unfair claims settlement practices

Defines enumerated unfair claims settlement practices, including misrepresentation, delayed communications/investigation, and failure to explain denials, when committed knowingly with statutory frequency.

Use / limit: Regulatory unfair-practices provision; not a general pre-suit liability-policy disclosure statute.

Open source authority ↗

Official sourceCA-CDI-AUTO-GUIDE

California DOI Automobile Insurance Guide

Consumer auto insurance guide

Explains California auto liability, financial responsibility, UM/UIM, and proof-of-insurance concepts for consumers.

Use / limit: Educational guidance, not statutory text.

Open source authority ↗

Official sourceCA-CDI-COMMERCIAL-GUIDE

California DOI Commercial Insurance Guide

Commercial auto and umbrella guide

Explains that commercial automobile insurance can address liability arising from autos used in business and that coverage can include owned, non-owned, or hired autos depending on the policy purchased; also discusses commercial umbrella coverage.

Use / limit: Coverage depends on actual policy terms; guide does not prove a policy exists in a particular claim.

Open source authority ↗

Official sourceCA-LAB-2775-5

Lab. Code § 2775.5

Vehicle ownership and worker classification

Mere ownership of a personal or commercial vehicle used to provide remunerated labor or services does not itself make the worker an independent contractor; if the worker is an employee, reimbursement rules apply.

Use / limit: Use chaptered SB 809 as official source where direct code-section endpoint is unavailable.

Open source authority ↗

Official sourceCA-LAB-2802-2

Lab. Code § 2802.2

Employee-owned vehicle used in duties

Expressly states that Labor Code § 2802 applies when an employee-owned personal or commercial vehicle is used in discharge of duties; subdivision (a) is declarative of existing law.

Use / limit: Construction-trucking provisions in subsection (b) are more specific; do not extend them to all workers.

Open source authority ↗

Official sourceCA-SB-809-2025

SB 809, Stats. 2025, ch. 659

Employee-owned vehicles and construction trucking

Chaptered legislation adding Labor Code §§ 2750.9, 2775.5, and 2802.2 and stating key personal-vehicle propositions as declarative of existing law.

Use / limit: Use final chaptered text rather than earlier bill versions.

Open source authority ↗

California Federal Districts

District-wide local rules are distinguished from judge-specific standing orders. A chambers order is a practice example, not a district-wide rule.

Official sourceCA-FED-ND-LOCAL-2026

Civil Local Rules, effective May 1, 2026

Northern District current civil local rules

Current N.D. Cal. civil local rules supplement the Federal Rules; no separate district-wide insurance disclosure rule was identified in this review, so Rule 26(a)(1)(A)(iv) remains the baseline subject to case-specific orders.

Use / limit: Absence statement is limited to reviewed district-wide materials; always check assigned-judge standing orders.

Open source authority ↗

Official sourceCA-FED-ED-LOCAL-2026

Local Rules, effective Feb. 23, 2026

Eastern District current local rules

Current E.D. Cal. local rules operate with the federal Rule 26 baseline; no separate district-wide insurance-disclosure rule was identified in this review.

Use / limit: Check assigned-judge orders and scheduling orders.

Open source authority ↗

Official sourceCA-FED-CD-STANDING-INSURANCE

Representative scheduling conference order — insurance item

Central District chambers practice example

A representative C.D. Cal. scheduling order directs the Rule 26(f) report to address whether insurance exists, the extent of coverage, and reservation of rights.

Use / limit: Not a district-wide local rule. Label as representative chambers practice only.

Open source authority ↗

Official sourceCA-FED-SD-LOCAL-2026

Local Rules, effective June 1, 2026

Southern District current local rules

Current S.D. Cal. local rules and chambers rules supplement the federal rules; no separate district-wide insurance-disclosure rule was identified in this review.

Use / limit: Check assigned-judge chambers rules.

Open source authority ↗

California Superior Courts

Local court entries show how insurance or UM/UIM information is operationalized after filing. “No special rule identified” is limited to the materials reviewed and is not a permanent absence finding.

Official sourceCA-SUP-SONOMA-UM

Local civil rule — UM/UIM designation

Sonoma UM/UIM case-management rule

Requires an application/declaration for UM/UIM designation and suspends ordinary case-management rules for 180 days to permit arbitration.

Use / limit: Post-filing local case-management procedure, not pre-suit disclosure.

Open source authority ↗

Official sourceCA-SUP-ELD-7-12-09

Local Rule 7.12.09

El Dorado uninsured motorist cases

Plaintiff declaring a UM case must state that UM coverage exists, identify the UM carrier and limits, and state intent to proceed under the UM policy; designation suspends local case-management timing for 180 days.

Use / limit: Demonstrates post-filing operational dependence on insurance information.

Open source authority ↗

Official sourceCA-SUP-LA-3-24

Local Rule 3.24

Los Angeles uninsured motorist and case management

Treats UM cases specially for case management, requires identification as an uninsured-motorist case when known, and includes pendency of underinsured claims among case-evaluation factors.

Use / limit: The current URL served a chapter with historical effective-date footer. Recheck before quoting an exact effective date.

Open source authority ↗

Official sourceCA-SUP-LA-3-25

Local Rule 3.25

Los Angeles CMC and settlement conference

Requires CMC preparation using CRC 3.727 and CM-110 and requires an authorized insurer representative with coverage or coverage at issue at a settlement conference, absent excuse.

Use / limit: Post-filing settlement practice; not a pre-suit policy-disclosure rule.

Open source authority ↗

Official sourceCA-SUP-ORANGE-316

Local Rule 316

Orange mandatory settlement conference

Requires affected insurance carriers at mandatory settlement conferences to have representatives with settlement authority and to make good-faith settlement offers.

Use / limit: Settlement-participation rule, not a pre-suit disclosure mandate.

Open source authority ↗

Official sourceCA-SUP-ALAMEDA-3

Title 3 Civil Rules, effective July 1, 2026

Alameda civil local rules

Current civil rules identify uninsured-motorist cases and contain general discovery procedures; no separate insurance-disclosure rule was identified in this review.

Use / limit: Absence statement limited to reviewed materials; statewide rules and case-specific orders still apply.

Open source authority ↗

Official sourceCA-SUP-SCLARA-LOCAL

Local Rules of Court

Santa Clara local rules index

Official current local-rule repository. No special insurance-disclosure rule was identified in the reviewed materials; statewide California rules remain the baseline subject to department-specific orders.

Use / limit: Absence statement limited to current review.

Open source authority ↗

California Working-Vehicle Cases

These cases are deliberately balanced. Required-vehicle doctrine can expand scope of employment, but application remains fact-sensitive and ordinary commuting does not automatically become employer business.

Opinion sourceCA-CASE-LOBO-I

Lobo v. Tamco (2010) 182 Cal.App.4th 297

Required-vehicle exception — Lobo I

Evidence can create a triable issue under the required-vehicle exception where an employer requires or reasonably relies on an employee making a personal vehicle available for work, even where actual work use is infrequent.

Use / limit: Use published citation; source mirror should be replaced with an official/Official Reports link when stable.

Open source authority ↗

Opinion sourceCA-CASE-LOBO-II

Lobo v. Tamco (2014) 230 Cal.App.4th 438

Required-vehicle exception — Lobo II

After trial, substantial evidence supported the jury finding against course-and-scope liability, illustrating that required-vehicle application remains fact-sensitive.

Use / limit: Do not present Lobo I as automatic employer liability; Lobo II supplies the limiting factual context.

Open source authority ↗

Opinion sourceCA-CASE-MORADI

Moradi v. Marsh USA, Inc. (2013) 219 Cal.App.4th 886

Required personal vehicle for business travel

Where the employer required the employee to use a personal vehicle for frequent business travel, the required-vehicle exception supported course-and-scope liability during the commute; minor foreseeable deviations did not necessarily terminate it.

Use / limit: Fact-specific respondeat superior holding.

Open source authority ↗

Opinion sourceCA-CASE-CHANG

Chang v. Southern California Permanente Medical Group (2026) 120 Cal.App.5th 154

Hybrid work does not erase going-and-coming rule

Reaffirms required-vehicle and special-errand doctrines while holding that hybrid work or ordinary commuting alone does not establish course and scope where the employer did not require the vehicle or the travel at issue.

Use / limit: Important limiting authority. Prefer official slip/Official Reports source when final link is normalized.

Open source authority ↗

Opinion sourceCA-CASE-NEWLAND

Newland v. County of Los Angeles (2018) 24 Cal.App.5th 676

Required-vehicle exception analysis

Discusses required-vehicle principles and Lobo, including the possibility that required availability rather than frequent actual business use can matter.

Use / limit: Use for doctrinal synthesis; facts and holding should be stated narrowly.

Open source authority ↗

Opinion sourceCA-CASE-PIERSON

Pierson v. Helmerich & Payne Int’l Drilling Co. (2016) 4 Cal.App.5th 608

Required-vehicle / incidental-benefit elements

Provides detailed discussion of the required-vehicle/incidental-benefit exception and factual elements relevant to employer benefit and vehicle availability.

Use / limit: Useful for definitions; avoid treating labels as substitutes for factual proof.

Open source authority ↗

Opinion sourceCA-CASE-SAVAIKIE

Savaikie v. Kaiser Foundation Hospitals (2020) 52 Cal.App.5th 223

Required-vehicle limiting analysis

Discusses when an incidental benefit or required-vehicle theory applies and distinguishes situations where personal vehicle availability is not truly required for the employment.

Use / limit: Limiting authority.

Open source authority ↗

Opinion sourceCA-CASE-HALLIBURTON

Halliburton Energy Services, Inc. v. Department of Transportation (2013) 220 Cal.App.4th 87

Personal trip outside scope

Illustrates limits of respondeat superior where the trip is purely personal and insufficiently connected to employer business, despite the employment context.

Use / limit: Use as counterweight to broad course-and-scope formulations.

Open source authority ↗

Colorado Comparison Authorities

Official sourceCO-HB19-1283

HB 19-1283

Disclosure of Insurance Liability Coverage

Colorado enacted pre-suit auto-liability coverage disclosure, including each known policy of the named insured, excess or umbrella coverage, limits, insured names, and a copy of the policy; the insured has a separate disclosure duty.

Use / limit: Bill page includes enacted summary and source documents.

Open source authority ↗

Official sourceCO-HB19-1283-SIGNED

HB 19-1283 signed act

Legislative declaration and enacted text

Signed act contains legislative findings supporting insurance transparency and enacted statutory provisions.

Use / limit: Use legislative findings separately from operative text.

Open source authority ↗

Official sourceCO-CRCP-26-A1D

C.R.C.P. 26(a)(1)(D)

Automatic insurance agreement disclosure in litigation

Colorado litigation rules require, without awaiting a discovery request, disclosure of insurance agreements that may satisfy or reimburse a judgment.

Use / limit: Current rule materials should be rechecked if the Supreme Court adopts new amendments.

Open source authority ↗

Official sourceCO-RULECHANGE-2024-03

Rule Change 2024(03), C.R.C.P. 26(d)

Discovery timing after case management order

Absent authorization by rule, court order, or agreement, a party may not seek discovery from any source before service of the case management order.

Use / limit: Relevant to why compulsory evidence access is litigation-gated in Colorado.

Open source authority ↗

Official sourceCO-CASE-WEATHERILL-CGA

Weatherill v. State Farm, 2026 COA 11

Weatherill — § 10-3-1117

Colorado General Assembly Cases of Note summarizes Weatherill and the Court of Appeals treatment of § 10-3-1117, including the limitation-period issue.

Use / limit: Digest is not substitute for the published opinion; use opinion for exact holdings and record-specific facts.

Open source authority ↗

Official opinionCO-CASE-BOHANAN

Bohanan v. Esurance Property & Casualty Insurance Co., 2026 COA 6

Policies that provide or may provide coverage / are or may be relevant

The majority held that a policy had to be produced when it was relevant or potentially relevant during the statutory response period and rejected the insurer's argument that its later unilateral coverage determination excused production.

Use / limit: Published Court of Appeals opinion with a dissent. State the record-specific holding narrowly and check later appellate history before relying on it.

Open official opinion ↗

Published opinion mirrorCO-CASE-REYNOLDS

Reynolds v. Great Northern Insurance Co., 2023 COA 77

Earlier one-year penalty / accrual analysis

An earlier division treated § 10-3-1117 as a penalty statute subject to a one-year limitation period beginning after the thirty-day disclosure period. Weatherill later declined to follow that reasoning.

Use / limit: Included to explain the appellate conflict and history. Weatherill must be consulted for the later contrary analysis; verify any later Supreme Court review.

Open published-opinion mirror ↗

Official sourceCO-CRS-CURRENT

2026 Colorado Revised Statutes

Current Colorado statutes repository

Official repository for checking current statutory text, including Title 10.

Use / limit: Link to title-specific PDF when final public library is normalized.

Open source authority ↗

Authority QC protocol. Statutes and procedural rules should be rechecked immediately before any filing, deadline calculation, or legislative quotation. Published-opinion mirrors are labeled as such. Model legislation belongs on the model-law pages, not in this current-law library.