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Poll: Pennsylvanians opposed to changes in Comp and favor pro-consumer auto insurance reform
Poll results can be accessed on PaTLA’s Web site.
(10/5/05) -- Last week, Susquehanna Polling and Research, a respected independent Harrisburg polling company, conducted a statewide poll that has some very good news for us and the rights of our clients.
The poll, which surveyed 700 people, asked four questions about the legal system - specifically the workers compensation and auto systems - in order to gauge public support for potential legislative action.
The first question asked whether people supported a plan to double the amount of time an injured worker is required to see the company's approved doctor before they can see their own doctor -- from 90 days to 180 days. A large majority (68 percent) responded they did not support that change, with only 23 percent expressing support.
The second question again focused on the workers compensation system, this time asking respondents whether they support making it harder to file a claim, especially knowing that the number of claims has been decreasing in Pennsylvania. Sixty two percent said the system should be left as it is, with almost twice as many people saying it should be made easier to file a claim (20 percent) as those who think it should be made harder (11 percent).
In the first question about the auto system, a staggering 96 percent of people believe insurance policies should be required to be written in "plain English" in order to make it easier for people to understand exactly what their policy does and does not cover.
In the final question about the legal system, respondents were asked whether the amount of coverage drivers are required to carry should be increased from $15,000 - an amount that has not been increased in decades. Sixty percent said the minimum limit should be lifted.
These new results will be very helpful as the Association moves forward this fall.
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