Auto Insurance Controversy

Analysis of Fred M. Muir’s story (“Inflated Claims Seen as Fast Lane to Easy Money,” Part I, Jan. 23) demonstrates that the insurance industry is attempting to manipulate the media to justify outrageous auto insurance rates and to force the public to accept no-fault insurance.

Attempts to curb abuses--such as Proposition 100 on the November ballot--were opposed by the insurance industry. Proposition 100 would have provided for meaningful prosecution of the criminals who abuse the system. We supported Proposition 100, in part, because of that anti-fraud provision.

The industry answer to the problem, no-fault insurance, was defeated by a three-to-one margin by California voters. The industry knows that no-fault will not stop abuses in the claims process, it will only cause crooks to use different methods.

The insurers have to clean up their act in order to solve the insurance crisis. Until they open their books, not selected files for newspaper reporters, we will not know the true story.

Rather than treating consumers--who are in the unfortunate position of being accident victims and who must make claims to get compensation--as suspects, The Times should suspect industry motives and investigate the insurance industry fully and completely.

THOMAS G. STOLPMAN

President

Los Angeles Trial Lawyers Assn.