Letter to the Editor: The high cost of insurance fraud

It seems that every day I’m reading a new story about insurance fraud and people who intentionally cause car accidents to make money from lawsuits. That raises costs for all of us.

Feeding and clothing a growing family is expensive, and shuttling kids from school to activities has become an even bigger strain on household budgets as insurance and gas prices rise.

New Yorkers pay some of the highest auto insurance premiums in the country, around $4,000 a year. That’s a whopping $1,500 more than the national average, and it has caught the attention of Governor Kathy Hochul. She’s urging Albany to pass legislation to crack down on fraud and costly courtroom shenanigans.

Policy experts have found that unnecessary lawsuits — including those staged accidents — are driving up costs across the insurance system. These increases directly translate to higher prices for the law-abiding. Families are paying more because bad actors are exploiting the system.

Rising insurance costs don’t exist in a vacuum. They drive up the price of everyday goods and services, from groceries to deliveries and taxis and rideshare services. While Governor Hochul works to fix the state laws driving these abuses, Congress should follow suit by passing reforms in the upcoming transportation bill that curb lawsuit abuse and bring relief to families like mine.

Gavin Cummings
Warwick