New Campaign Illustrates the Losses Suffered by Crash Survivors in Wake of 2019 Auto Insurance Law
New Campaign Illustrates the Losses Suffered by Crash Survivors in Wake of 2019 Auto Insurance Law
Reporters can interview survivors featured in What We’ve Lost campaign
LANSING, Mich.—(April 23, 2023)— With the four-year anniversary of auto insurance reform coming up in May, CPAN–the consumer protection organization fighting for fair insurance laws–today announced the launch of a new social media campaign highlighting the devastating impact of the retroactive application of the new law.
The “What We’ve Lost” campaign gives survivors an opportunity to share their stories in their own words, said CPAN President Tim Hoste.
“Public policy decisions have consequences, and the consequences of Michigan’s new auto insurance law have been cataclysmic,” Hoste said. “Crash survivors paid for–and were promised–lifetime care. Now that care has been ripped away from them, leaving survivors feeling betrayed and left behind. The ‘What We’ve Lost’ campaign allows them to speak directly to the public and lawmakers about how they’ve been impacted.”
Starting today, stories will be shared on CPAN’s social media accounts every week.
A survivor named Clarence said the new law “makes me feel vulnerable and unsafe. I've also lost faith in our government, this should have never happened.”
Brian, another survivor, said: “Since the 2021 changes in the law, I’ve lost my job, I’ve lost my attendant care, I can no longer live in my home and now live in a facility. I’ve lost my connections to the community and I have lost hope.”
Leanne, who was injured 34 years ago, says the new law has left her with “tremendous heartache and severe financial loss, not to mention the emotional trauma.”
In March, the Michigan Supreme Court heard oral arguments in the case of Andary et al. v USAA Casualty Insurance Company et al. Last August, the Michigan Court of Appeals ruled 2-1 in favor of the plaintiffs, determining that the benefit reductions passed as part of 2019 auto insurance reforms could not be applied retroactively to persons who were injured before this law went into effect. That decision was appealed by the defendants; a final decision from the Supreme Court is expected later this year.
A study from the nonprofit public health institute MPHI found that as of April 2022 nearly 7,000 patients had been discharged from care, more than 4,000 health care workers had lost their jobs, and more than 30 businesses were forced to close their doors. Even worse, at least six survivors died due to lost care. Those numbers have only increased since then.
Individuals who want to send a letter to their lawmakers asking them to fix the new law to protect survivors can do so at the CPAN website. Reporters who wish to speak to any of the survivors should contact Scott Swanson at scott@moonsailnorth.com or 517.582.0084.