New York Trial Lawyers Lobby Against Auto Insurance Reforms

www.brushwoodmedianetwork.com, The Center Square, April 9^th, 2026

(The Center Square) – Legal watchdog groups are accusing New York trial lawyers of funneling millions of dollars into Democratic lawmakers’ political campaigns in an effort to stall Gov. Kathy Hochul’s crackdown on auto insurance fraud.

The American Tort Reform Association said the New York State Trial Lawyers Association contributed nearly $6.5 million to state lawmakers between 2022 and 2025, including sizable contributions to political action committees controlled by Democratic Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie and Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins.

“It’s no surprise that wealthy lawyers who benefit most from the status quo are fighting tooth and nail to keep the cash machine flowing to pad their pockets – and to maintain their influence in Albany,” said Lauren Sheets Jarrell, the association’s vice president and counsel for civil justice policy. “While they’re dumping millions into political campaigns and TV ads to squeeze more out of everyone else, hardworking families pay for their greed.”

The campaign contributions were highlighted in a recent report by the Lawsuit Reform Alliance of New York, which said trial lawyers have fueled a “fraudemic” of bogus claims with TV ads and are now pouring money into efforts to maintain the status quo in Albany. Continue article