Opinion ID: 2566097
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Reimbursement for PIP Payments

Text: ¶26 West American has a statutory right to seek reimbursement from Nationwide for the PIP benefits it paid to Speros, but the appropriate forum is arbitration. Pursuant to section 31A-22-309(6) of the Utah Code, arbitration is the exclusive forum in which an insurer may seek reimbursement from another insurer for its payment of PIP benefits. Utah Code Ann. § 31A-22-309(6) (2003). We recently addressed the scope of this mandatory arbitration provision in Regal Insurance Co. v. Canal Insurance Co., 2004 UT 19, ¶ 1, 93 P.3d 99. In Regal, we held that the mandatory arbitration provision of section 31A-22-309(6) applies to reimbursement disputes based on issues of coverage, as well as reimbursement disputes based on issues of fault. Regal is controlling here and requires us to affirm the trial court's ruling that West American lacked standing to sue Nationwide for reimbursement of the PIP payments it made to Speros.