(a) Whenever a judgment for punitive damages is entered against an insurer or health care service plan licensed pursuant to Chapter 2.2 (commencing with Section 1340) of Division 2 of the Health and Safety Code, the plaintiff in the action shall, within 10 days of entry of judgment, provide all of the following to the Commissioner of the Department of Insurance or the Director of the Department of Managed Health Care, whichever commissioner has regulatory jurisdiction over the insurer or health care service plan:
(1) A copy of the judgment.
(2) A brief recitation of the facts of the case.
(3) Copies of relevant pleadings, as determined by the plaintiff.
(b) The willful failure to comply with this section may, at the discretion of the trial court, result in the imposition of sanctions against the plaintiff or his or her attorney.
(c) This section shall apply to all judgments entered on or after January 1, 1995.
(d) “Insurer,” for purposes of this section, means any person or entity transacting any of the classes of insurance described in Chapter 1 (commencing with Section 100) of Part 1 of Division 1 of the Insurance Code.
(Amended by Stats. 2000, Ch. 857, Sec. 5. Effective January 1, 2001.)