La. auto insurance 2nd-highest in country
by Eric Narcisse - The Daily Advertiser (excerpt)

New figures show Louisiana's premiums averaging $2,453 per year with Michigan slightly higher with an average of $2,541 per premium. The data comes from a study Quadrant Information Services performed for Insure.com, an online consumer insurance resource, used to find the most and least expensive insurance premiums in the United States. "This is the second year that we have performed the study," Insure.com Senior Managing Editor Amy Danise said. "It's going to be an annual study that we perform."

According to the study and Danise, Louisiana's car insurance rates are high because of a state law that doesn't allow for a jury trial for claims less than $50,000. Any claim less than $50,000 goes before an elected judge.

"Folks in Louisiana are suffering from pretty high insurance rates and the car insurance agents there have pointed to the judicial system," Danise said. "Louisiana is a lawsuit-happy state and because of the law that makes all claims less than $50,000 go in front of an elected judge, who tends to side with the little guy instead of insurance companies. So, because of this, you tend to have a lot of expensive settlements, which is putting a typical driver with a clean record and safe car at the mercy of the court system."