Lawsuit Abuse Reform Must Go Further in Louisiana
By Jeff Arnold, former Chair, Louisiana House Judiciary Committee Anyone who drives a car in Louisiana surely welcomed last November’s announcement that state Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple had approved reductions in premiums for two AllState auto insurance companies. Over 12,000 drivers will see reductions that range (on average) from 7.6% to 15%. These reductions represent a simple case of cause and effect – and a promising path forward. AllState’s reduced rates follow the state’s efforts to rein in lawsuit abuse and insurance fraud. In a statement released by Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple, an AllState representative directly linked the premium reductions to the lawsuit abuse reform efforts. Before last year’s legal reform legislation, Louisiana drivers had endured years of steadily rising auto insurance premiums, with Louisiana remaining the least affordable state in the nation for personal auto insurance. ...