Andy Edmonds: I live in New York and was reading your blog on “No fault insurance“, when I decided to compare auto insurance quotes online. Are there any expected changes for this.

Response: As per the latest information received from on 24th November 2009, New York as per the statement of Superintendent James J. Wrynn said that they have made all efforts to stop the abuse of no fault insurance. The cost of each no-fault claim has gone up by more than half in the past five years, and all New Yorkers with auto insurance are paying for this. The department said its fraud investigations bureau received more than 11,000 complaints alleging no-fault fraud this year to date, a 7 percent increase over the total for all of 2008. The number of no-fault arrests in 2008 was 52 percent greater than in 2007.

As per Paul Magaril, regional manager of Property Casualty Insurers Association of America (PCI) the New York auto insurance rates are the second highest auto insurance premiums in USA. This is almost 50 percent more than the rest of the country. As per PCI the cost of the no fault system of New York the cost of claims is estimated $1.2 million per day. This is the result of frauds like over-utilization of health system. The medical cost is very high.

The Insurers think it is time to stop the frauds and make some changes which will come into effect from January 1st 2010. The changes would take time to be implemented and passed. However, here are the changes which are porposed :

The main idea behind this is to protect consumers the auto insurance frauds have to be stopped so that the low auto insurance rates are available for the customers.

I am sure we all would appreciate the changes, in the long run once we get low auto insurance quotes and start saving on car insurance.

Eben Pagan (New York): My auto insurance policy is going to be renewed by the end of this month and I live in New York. Can you please tell me about No fault car insurance in New York?

Response: Eben, I know you will find this odd, but the best way to get the best auto insurance rates is to compare auto insurance quote online and am sure you get the best deals. Online auto insurance is competitive and they offer you the latest discounts and best rates since they know that there are already a couple of  insurers offering their rates on the same page.

Let me shate another news with you which you might have read regarding No fault car insurance in New York.

New York’s auto insurers saw their typical no-fault payment for the medical care of accident victims rise by 56 percent to $8,748 per claim in the second quarter of 2009. This represents a dramatic increase from late 2004, when the average no-fault payment stood at $5,615 per claim, according to an Insurance Information Institute (I.I.I.) analysis.

The insurance industry, the New York State Insurance Department’s (NYSID) Frauds Bureau, the National Insurance Crime Bureau and law enforcement agencies continue to investigate suspicious claims vigorously, according to Dr. Robert Hartwig, the I.I.I. president and an economist. Yet loopholes in the no-fault system make it particularly vulnerable to fraud and abuse by a “no-fault industry” of corrupt medical professionals, attorneys, and street-level criminals who work on their behalf.

“In less than five years, New York’s auto insurers have seen an extraordinary 56 percent increase in the average cost of no-fault claims, to a great extent the result of abuse and, sometimes, outright fraud in the system,”

“The costs of fraud and abuse of the state’s no-fault system ultimately are borne by New York’s honest policyholders. New York’s no-fault claim costs are now the second highest in the country and are 111 percent higher than the U.S. average of $4,152.”

The reason for letting you know all these details is to explain why the auto insurance rates are likely to rise. This is because the insurance companies base their auto insurance rates on their expenses and no fault claims expenses are a part of the expenses which all the insurance companies have to share and pay for.

The insurance companies offer a higher discount online since they save their operating cost. When you compare car insurance quote online make sure that you are also comparing your coverages and the discounts offered. I am sure you will find a good quote here.

Thanks.

Kamlesh

Jackson (Pennsylvania ) I Have No-Fault Insurance, so I’m not at fault for an accident?

Response : The meaning of a No- fault insurance coverage in an auto insurance policy means that if you are involved in a car accident and you are injured or your vehicle is damaged than you have to deal with your own insurance company, irrespective of the fact whether you or the other driver is at fault. This is to ensure that you will get the financial help from your own insurance company for your injuries or damaged auto, rather than waiting for any decision of who is at fault and settlement from the other insurer.

In US this law differs in each state. Kentucky, New Jersey and Pennsylvania -permit their policy holders to choice between the traditional tort (file a suit against the wrong doer) and no-fault recovery regimes. The policy holders can select “choice” or “optional” no -fault, or “full tort” and “limited tort” (no-fault) In both Kentucky and New Jersey, if no choice is made by the policy holder than no-fault option is given by default. In Pennsylvania if an insured fails to select than the full-tort option is assigned by default. Some states have repelled the no-fault system but Florida has created a new no-fault system as of January 1, 2008.

Review car insurance coverage and find out if your auto insurance policy has “no fault:. If you donot, compare auto insurance quotes online but be sure to choose the correct option avaliable for “no-fault” depending upon your state.