IiJ Tt3ER.5 Eagleton Institute of Politics New Brunswick New Jersey / &Lic 1aF-1LCbgCr/EAGLETON POLL

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1 also use this information in their Sunday editions. Electronic media may FOR RELEASE: SUNDAY, AUGUST 3, 1986 CONTACT: BOB CARTER RELEASE: SL/EP12-2 EP62-2) RELEASE INFORMATION A story based on the survey findings presented in this release and back ground memo will appear in Sunday s Star-Ledger. Other newspapers may IiJ Tt3ER.5 Eagleton Institute of Politics New Brunswick New Jersey / INSURANCE REFORM: NEW JERSEYANS SUPPORT LIMITS ON PAIN AND SUFFERING AWARDS By a wide margin, most New Jerseyans would approve of putting some limit on The survey also reveals that a majority would support the proposed verbal The survey, conducted between July 11 and 21 with BOO New Jersey residents, shows that 60 percent have heard or read something about the state s current of the problem, more than 7-in-iD think it is every serious, while more than -more- ATTENTION RADIO STATIONS: Audio is available after 6:00 p.m. on Saturday, August 2, from 201) Rutgers Feature Phone). THE STATE UNrvPSflV OF NEW JEPV too many lawsuits. 8-in-la also agree that liability insurance costs are too high because there are liability insurance crisis. Among this segment of the population that is aware insurance bill. insurance coverage or benefits in return for a significant reduction in their car addition, most residents say they are willing to reduce some of their auto arising from car accidents to cases involving serious injury or death. In threshold for auto insurance, which would limit pain and suffering lawsuits suffering, according to the latest Star-Ledger/Eagleton Poll. also supports allowing judges to reduce amounts awarded by juries for pain and pain and suffering awards to injury victims. By a narrower margin, a majority attribute this copyrighted information to the Star-Ledger/Eagleton Poll. release after 6:00 p.m. Saturday, August 2. We ask users to properly &Lic 1aF-1LCbgCr/EAGLETON POLL

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3 While not addressing the specific dollar limits called for in the Assembly reform though it would not limit payments for medical expenses or permanent injuries. on how much money could be awarded to an injury victim for pain and suffering, the liability insurance problem. A bill passed by the Assembly would set limits The State Legislature is currently considering various proposals to address -more- while 39 percent would disapprove. The remaining 7 percent offer no and suffering from car accidents to cases involving serious injury or death, the Assembly. Fifty-four percent say they approve of limiting suits for pain the general idea behind the verbal threshold proposal which has been passed by A smaller majority--53 percent of all New Jerseyans--also supports the idea Bob Carter, associate director of the Poll, comented, While awareness of On the issue of auto insurance reform, a majority of the public also supports approaches put forth so far by the Legislature. insurance reform, a majority of the public is supportive of the general concern among the general public. In regard to the proposals for liability this issue is far from universal, there is nonetheless a substantial amount of authority, and the remaining 6 percent aren t sure or don t know. State Senate. Forty-one percent would disapprove of giving judges such amounts to be excessive or unreasonable; such a proposal has been approved by the of allowing judges to reduce jury awards for pain and suffering if they find the approving among those not aware of the issue. read something about the liability insurance problem, compared to 51 percent for this type of reform is much higher--76 percent--among those having heard or disapprove of a cap on payments, while the remainder express no opinion. Support limit on payments for pain and suffering. Twenty-eight percent say they package, the survey shows that 66 percent of New Jerseyans would approve of some EP62-2 SL/EP12-2) Page 2

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5 firm opinion. By a comfortable 54 to 33 percent margin, a majority of New coverage or benefits if it resulted in a significant reduction in their car A variety of reasons, such as excessive jury awards or lack of insurance Jerseyans also say they would be willing to reduce some of their auto insurance insurance premiums. Copyright, The Eagleton Institute/Newark Star-Ledger, offer no opinion. consider it to be a very serious problem, another 21 percent say it is state s liability insurance problem, and 35 percent say they have heard some Twenty-five percent of New Jerseyans have read or heard a lot about the percent also agree that insurance companies are creating the percent agree that a lack of regulation of the insurance industry too many excessive jury awards to injury victims percent also agree that liability costs are too high because of percent agree that liability insurance costs are too high because there are too many lawsuits explanations for the problem. Specifically, finds overwhelming majorities agreeing with four of the more commonly mentioned crisis and the high cost of such insurance. Among the 60 percent of residents industry regulation, have been put forth as the primary causes of the liability EP62-2 SL/EP12-2) Page 3 having heard something about the liability insurance issue, the current survey has helped cause the problem problem in order to make higher profits. or just a little. The remaining 40 percent say they have not heard anything about liability insurance problems. Among those aware of the issue, 72 percent somewhat serious, and only 3 percent say not too serious; the remainder -30-

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7 URic tae-icbgcr/eagleton POLL BACKGROUND MEMO--RELEASE SL/EP12-2 EP62-2), SUNDAY, AUGUST The latest Star-Ledger/Eagleton Poll was conducted between July 11 and 21, 1986, when a random sample of New Jerseyans, 18 years and older) was interviewed by telephone. Figures presented for the total sample of 800 have a sampling error of ±3.5 percent at a 95 percent confidence interval; sampling error for the sub-set of 549 respondents aware of the liability insurance problem is ±4.4 percent. Sampling error is the probable difference in results between interviewing everyone in a population versus a scientific sample taken from that population. Sampling error does not take into account the possible sources of error inherent in any study of public opinion. The questions and figures referred to in this release are as follows: As you may know, local governments, businesses, and individuals often buy liability insurance to protect themselves against lawsuits. New Jersey is currently facing a problem where has become very expensive or impossible to buy such insurance. Have you read or heard anything about this? How much--a lot, some, or just a little? it Not Heard of/ Don t A Lot Some A Little Nothing Know Total fin Statewide 25% 19% 16% 39% 1% 100% 800) How serious do YQM think the liability insurance problem is in New Jersey--very serious, somewhat serious, or not too serious?i* Very Somewhat Not too Don t Serious Serious Serious Know Total 72% 21% 3% 5% 101% 549) I m going to read you a short of reasons which some people say have caused the liability insurance problem. Please tell me whether you agree or disagree with each one. Don t Agree Disagree know Total jjfl --Liability insurance costs are too high because there are too many lawsuits. 85% 13% 3% 101% 549) list --Liability costs are too high because insurance companies are creating the problem to make higher profits ) --Liability insurance costs are too high because there are too many excessive jury awards to injury victims ) --Liability costs are too high because there is not enough regulation of the liability insurance industry ) * These questions were asked only of the 60 percent having heard or read at least a about the liability insurance problem. little IJ_JTc1ER.S THE STA1 UNPSI1V 0i NEW JERV EaQieton Institute of Politics New Brunswick New Jersey /

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9 Heard About Liability Statewide 66% 28% 6% 100% 800) Approve Disapprove Don t Know Total Qjj Depends! or disapprove of some limit on payments for pain and suffering? payments for medical expenses or permanent injuries. In general, would you approve could be awarded to an injury victim for pain and suffering, but would not limit The Legislature is considering a bill that would limit the amount of money that Statewide 54% 33% 7% 6% 100% 800) Yes No Don t Know Applicable Total Depends? Not it meant a significant reduction in your car insurance bill? Would you be willing to reduce some of your auto insurance coverage or benefits if Statewide 54% 39% 7% 100% 800) ADprove DisaDprove Don t Know Total Depends? If a person s medical expenses from a car accident exceed a certain amount they injury or death? limiting lawsuits for pain and suffering from car accidents to cases of serious cases involving serious injury or death, but would not limit someone s ability to recover economic losses or medical expenses. Would you approve or disapprove of can now sue for pain and suffering. A new proposal would limit such lawsuits to --no ) --yes ) Insurance Problem Heard About Liability Statewide 53% 41% 6% 100% 800) ADprove DisapDrove Don t Know Total.QjJ. Depends? to reduce jury awards for pain and suffering? be excessive or unreasonable. Would you approve or disapprove of allowing judges would allow a judge to reduce the amount awarded by a jury if he or she found it to Another bill would not put any limits on payments for pain and suffering, but --no ) --yes ) Insurance Problem EP62-2 SL/EP12-2) -2-

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