TITLE XXI
MOTOR VEHICLES

CHAPTER 264
ACCIDENTS AND FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

Motor Vehicles

Section 264:15

    264:15 Uninsured or Hit-and-Run Motor Vehicle Coverage. –
    I. No policy shall be issued under the provisions of RSA 264:14, with respect to a vehicle registered or principally garaged in this state, unless coverage is provided therein or supplemental thereto at least in amounts or limits prescribed for bodily injury or death for a liability policy under this chapter, for the protection of persons insured thereunder who are legally entitled to recover damages from owners or drivers of uninsured motor vehicles, and hit-and-run vehicles because of bodily injury, sickness, or disease, including death resulting therefrom. When an insured elects to purchase liability insurance in an amount greater than the minimum coverage required by RSA 259:61, the insured's uninsured motorist coverage shall automatically be equal to the liability coverage elected. For the purposes of this paragraph umbrella or excess policies that provide excess limits to policies described in RSA 259:61 shall also provide uninsured motorist coverage equal to the limits of liability purchased, unless the named insured rejects such coverage in writing. Rejection of such coverage by a named insured shall constitute a rejection of coverage by all insureds, shall apply to all vehicles then or thereafter eligible to be covered under the policy, and shall remain effective upon policy amendment or renewal, unless the named insured requests such coverage in writing.
    II. In the event of insolvency on the part of the liability insurer which prevents such insurer from paying the legal liability of its insured within the limits of the coverage provided, if no other insurance applies, uninsured motorist coverage shall provide for no less than $25,000 coverage for injury to or destruction of property in any one accident.
    III. An insurer's extension of coverage, as provided in paragraph II, shall be applicable only to accidents occurring during a policy period in which its insured's uninsured motor vehicle coverage is in effect and where the liability insurer of the tort-feasor has been declared to be insolvent by a court of competent jurisdiction as of the accident date, or has been declared to be insolvent by a court of competent jurisdiction within 3 years after the accident date. Nothing herein contained shall be construed to prevent any insurer from extending coverage under terms and conditions more favorable to its insureds than is provided hereunder.
    IV. In the event of payment to any person under the coverage required by this section and subject to the terms and conditions of such coverage, the insurer making such payment shall, to the extent thereof, be entitled to the proceeds of any settlement or judgment resulting from the exercise of any rights of recovery of such person against any person or organization legally responsible for the bodily injury for which such payment is made, including the proceeds recoverable from the assets of the insolvent insurer; provided, however, with respect to payments made by reason of the extension of coverage described in paragraphs II and III, the insurer making such payment shall not be entitled to any right of recovery against such tort-feasor in excess of the proceeds recovered from the assets of the insolvent insurer of said tort-feasor.
    V. Every document tendered to settle a claim for bodily injury which may be the subject of coverage under this section shall prominently contain the following language, which shall be read and signed by the releasing party or parties:

WARNING


    ""IF YOU SIGN THIS RELEASE YOU MAY FORFEIT YOUR RIGHT TO UNINSURED MOTORIST INSURANCE BENEFITS FROM YOUR OWN AUTOMOBILE INSURANCE POLICY. CONSULT WITH YOUR INSURANCE AGENT, YOUR AUTOMOBILE INSURANCE COMPANY, OR YOUR ATTORNEY BEFORE SIGNING.''
    I certify that I have read the above warning and fully understand it.
____________________
Signature

Source. RSA 268:15-a. 1967, 284:2. 1969, 418:1; 485:1, 2. 1970, 37:11. 1981, 507:3; 146:1; 507:7. 1988, 77:2. 1991, 330:2. 2000, 324:1, eff. Aug. 20, 2000. 2007, 302:1, eff. Sept. 11, 2007. 2009, 74:1, eff. Jan. 1, 2010.