Auto Reform

There has been growing attention on auto insurance reform in New York. The issue is a straightforward goal: ensuring that law-abiding drivers are not unfairly affected by fraud and abuse in the system.

Lawmakers are currently reviewing proposed reforms designed to tackle these challenges.

A brief explanation of each proposal is provided below:

•Cracking down on staged accidents and fraud: This proposal would strengthen insurance fraud laws and make it easier to prosecute fraud at lower dollar amounts. It is intended to deter organized fraud and protect honest drivers from the higher costs that fraud creates.

•Reducing unnecessary litigation: This proposal would limit opportunities for abusive lawsuits by changing how serious injury claims are evaluated, limiting certain non-economic damage awards, and tying recovery more closely to each party’s actual share of fault. These changes would help reduce costs driven by unnecessary, excessive litigation.

•Strengthening insurer anti-fraud efforts: This proposal would give insurers more time to report suspected fraud and would clarify their right to deny or defend against suspicious claims after certain deadlines. These changes would help insurers investigate fraud more effectively and prevent improper claim payments.

As the insurance industry continues to evolve, we are grateful for our partnership with many great carriers that work together to provide our customers with the genuine care, fairness, and the protection that they deserve. https://www.biginy.org/advocacy/legislative-advocacy/grassroots-action-center/