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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>361250</law_id><section_number>38.2-1217</section_number><catch_line>Reciprocal may be sued as such; where action or suit may be brought; upon whom service of process had</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2026/" slug="2026" current="TRUE" last_updated="2026-08-02">2026</edition><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="88" identifier="38.2">Insurance</unit><unit label="chapter" level="2" order_by="12" identifier="12">Reciprocal Insurance</unit><unit label="article" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="1">General Provisions</unit></structure><text>
						<section id="A"><p><span class="prefix-number">A.</span> Any reciprocal doing business in this Commonwealth may sue or be sued in the name or designation under which its <span class="dictionary">insurance contracts</span> are effected. <a id="paragraph-1344175" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/38.2-1217/#A"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="B"><p><span class="prefix-number">B.</span> Any action or suit against a reciprocal may be brought in any county or city (i) where its principal office is located, or (ii) where the <span class="dictionary">cause of action</span> or any part of the <span class="dictionary">cause of action</span> arose. If the action or suit is to recover a loss under a policy of insurance, it may also be brought in the county or city where the property insured was situated at the date of the policy. Any action or suit against a foreign or alien reciprocal may also be brought in any county or city of this Commonwealth in which it has any debts owed to it. <a id="paragraph-1344176" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/38.2-1217/#B"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="C"><p><span class="prefix-number">C.</span> In an action or suit against a reciprocal, process against or notice to the reciprocal may be served upon the clerk of the <span class="dictionary">Commission</span>. If the <span class="dictionary">defendant</span> in the action or suit is a domestic reciprocal, process against or notice to that domestic reciprocal shall be served upon the attorney for that domestic reciprocal unless service upon that attorney is not feasible. <a id="paragraph-1344177" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/38.2-1217/#C"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section></text><history>Code 1950, &#xA7; 38-547; 1952, c. 317, &#xA7; 38.1-707; 1986, c. 562.</history><metadata><court_decisions></court_decisions></metadata></law>
