Families of traffic accident victims demand better compensation

Juri Ozawa, second from right and head of Ai no Kai a group of car accident victims family members in the Kanto region, responds to questions from reporters at the Financial Services Agency in Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward on July 26. Ryo Oyama The families of traffic accident victims are demanding that insurance providers do not inflict secondary damage on them by making inconsiderate comments at civil courts over compensation payments.

Ai no Kai, a group of family members of car accident victims in the Kanto region around Tokyo, submitted a request to the General Insurance Association of Japan and the Financial Services Agency on July 26.

Takuya Matsunaga, 35, a deputy head of Ai no Kai whose wife and daughter were killed in a traffic accident in Tokyo's Ikebukuro district in 2019, said he underwent secondary damage during a trial for the high-profile tragedy.

The insurance company's words offended me in the civil trial, like they do to others, he said. We will be pursuing preventive measures with the government. The association and the agency that oversees the insurance industry need to provide thorough guidance on bringing an end to the rampant practice, according to the group.

In its letter, Ai no Kai points out insurance companies give absurd arguments and resort to terrible words and actions that violate the dignity of bereaved families and others in trials.

An insurance provider refusing to cover medical costs was cited by concrete examples it cites, despite the fact that treatment was given despite the patient's life unlikely to be saved. Another criticized a policyholder who was slow in filing a suit for trying to get delayed compensation. Ai no Kai notes these habits are causing terrible pain to victims.

With these circumstances in mind, Ai no Kai asked the Financial Services Agency to issue thorough instructions to insurance corporations for improvement. Insurance firms and companies were asked to recognize their corporate social responsibility, and the GIAJ was urged to develop guidelines.

Shunichi Suzuki, the state minister in charge of financial services, received a letter from the victims group and told them that the state had already pressed 25 insurance providers to work out guidelines, according to Ai no Kai's accounts.